


Gemini

by Arel_Rhink



Category: Rhett & Link, rhink - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-02-10 15:52:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 36,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18663493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arel_Rhink/pseuds/Arel_Rhink
Summary: In a world where extraordinary human abilities have started to gear the media's attention, Rhett is called to act as a superhero to deal with Los Angeles' worst disaster, the supervillain Gemini.





	1. The Call

It wasn't the afternoon sunlight that woke Rhett up on what was supposed to be his Lazy Saturday. He winced and groaned at the buzzing of his phone, and stretched while wondering who on earth would be calling him on a Saturday. He didn't have that many friends, as his introvert self preferred being at home by himself. He saw them enough at work during the weekdays. He inhaled deeply and held it at the thought of them all wanting him to join them at a bar or something. When he saw the name glowing on his screen, however, his breath trickled out as he squinted in confusion. It was a friend, alright, but not one he expected to hear from at all. He touched the icon to accept the call and held the cell phone up to his ear.

"Hello?" Rhett strained to say, as sleep was still overtaking his vocal cords.

"Hey, Rhett," sang the voice on the other line. "It's Abbie. From NCSU?"

"I remember. I still have your number on my phone from when we worked on that freshmen seminar project."

" _Projects_ ," Abbie corrected with a chuckle. "We did like four of 'em together."

"Probably," Rhett scoffed with a nostalgic grin. "Barely anyone did anything in that class. We had each other's backs."

"I'm hoping we still do, Rhett." Abbie paused, sighing during the gap. "As you probably remember, I moved out to California after graduation for a job at that law firm."

"Oh yeah. How'd that go?"

"I hated it. I felt like I wasted my time and money on a law degree," Abbie replied. "Joined the police academy instead, and am now the chief of the LAPD."

"Whoa!" Rhett exclaimed. "That sounds way more rewarding than being a prosecutor."

"Tell me about it... But... here's the thing." There was a long pause. Rhett would've thought the call died if it wasn't for the sound of her sighing on the other end. "Listen," she finally said. "I have a serious favor to ask of you."

Rhett gulped. "What's up?"

"Here in LA, we've been having an issue with a particular character that's been wreaking havoc around the city. Many of our people have quit and moved away to another state in order to protect their families."

"Wow... all because of this one threat?! And your police force is dropping out?! Who is this guy?"

"They call him Gemini," Abbie replied. "No one has seen anything like him before. You're the only person I know who has a chance at stopping him."

"Why me? After all these years what made you think that I'm so special?"

"You're the only one I know with... an ability. Particularly one capable of putting up a fight. People like you are hard to find."

Rhett clutched the gemstone tied around his neck. Its aura whirred in his palm. "Right..." he whispered, mostly to himself. "So, that means this Gemini guy... he also has -"

"-Yep."

"That explains why this is such a big deal then." He fiddled with his gemstone, turning it and playing with its bright pink glare against the sun. He thought he was the only one for years, showing off his newfound abilities to his school friends. He started hearing about other cases on the news in recent years, but this was the first time he heard about someone using their ability to terrorize others, and possibly worse. He had to see it for himself. Maybe this was the rise of superheroes and supervillains, like he used to dream about as a kid. If he went to LA to take care of this Gemini problem, would he become the first real superhero?

"I know it's a lot to ask, being on the opposite end of the country and all... but it would mean a lot if you could help us," Abbie concluded.

Rhett's inner child jumped at the opportunity of being a superhero, and seemed to answer the question for him. Before he knew it, Rhett was on a plane to Los Angeles, CA.

Upon landing, the Uber that Abbie ordered waited for him at the terminal. Rhett's nerves jittered as he entered the vehicle. His eyes were glued to the window, half of him hoping to see the terror he was there to see. The other half was a bit too scared, not knowing enough about what Gemini does. He had never seen another ability carrier in person before, and didn't know what to expect.

Finally, the Uber stopped in front of the police station. Rhett sighed in relief that his ride remained safe. However, that feeling didn't last for long. His head snapped to face the direction of a sudden chorus of screams. He squinted out the car window, barely able to see streams of smoke a few blocks away. He jumped out of the vehicle and fled towards the commotion. The thought of the driver taking him to the location didn't even cross his mind. His feet were moving on their own accord, and his gem glowed as he gained speed. His legs moved in a blur of motion. He was practically invisible.

He arrived in seconds to the scene. The fibers he had barely seen before had turned into a huge swirling vortex of thick, black smoke. The plaza below was ablaze, and the few people who were still there or even alive were trapped under debris. So much chaos, but where was the culprit?

A sudden dash of blue smoke darted from the eye of the vortex, smashing not only one, but all the windows of a nearby building, filling the rooms inside with asphyxiating smoke. The essence of panic emanated from inside, terrifying Rhett to his core. He wanted to jump inside and help, but he knew that forsaking his anonymity was a bad idea, especially from the get-go.

Small fibers of the smoke leaked through the now smashed windows and formed a humanoid shape in the air. The figure was ominous, yet enchanting. His skin was faded to a light grey, and his extremities burned dark with a hint of blue. His pitch-black hair floated like the smoke he created. Rhett could have stared at him forever, but the figure turned and flashed bright, shiny, pupilless eyes in Rhett's direction. In a split second, that feeling of wonder and excitement snapped back to pure fear. Rhett darted for an alleyway nearby and hid behind a trash receptacle.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, making his heart leap out of his chest. He fumbled with it as he tried to answer it.

"Rhett!! Where are you?! The Uber driver's here and said you ran off! What's the deal?!"

"Shh! Shhh... Abbie!" Rhett whispered, peeking over the receptacle before ducking back down at the sight of blue smoke around the corner. "I'll be there soon," he whispered, hanging up and silencing his phone without hearing her response. He peeked out again, holding his breath as he looked in every direction. The coast seemed to be clear now, as the smoke he saw just a moment earlier had disappeared. He took this moment to make his escape and darted back to the police station.


	2. A Legal Matter

"You did _what_?!" Abbie scolded. She locked the door to her office so that they wouldn't be disturbed. "You don't have a license! You can't just go off on your own to fight Gemini like that! Vigilantism is illegal, Rhett! I didn't ask you to come here to get in trouble with the law!"

 "I didn't fight him, Abbie," Rhett explained. "I only watched. I fled the scene before anyone could see me."

"That's _all_  you did?" Abbie stressed, glaring at Rhett like she was inches away from firing him.

Rhett nodded. "Trust me, I _wanted_  to do more for those people... but I knew it was a bad idea to out myself without armor or anonymity."

"Good," Abbie exhaled, dropping herself onto her office chair and letting it spin a little. Relieved to be out of the ringer, Rhett also took a seat in the leather seat on the other side of her desk. He smiled at the law degree and police academy awards that decorated the wall behind his old friend. A couple pictures surrounded them. He wanted to comment, but Abbie brought him back to the topic at hand. "So what do you think about him? About Gemini?"

Rhett blinked back to reality, staring doe-eyed at the memory of that terrifying scene. "I didn't expect him to be so powerful," he stammered. "I mean, just by what you told me was a lot, but seeing it in person... It seemed so surreal. I haven't felt so endangered since..." He absentmindedly clutched his gem through his shirt at the memory, but he couldn't bear to relive it enough to say it aloud. "And that was just by watching!"

"Well, hopefully you give him that same reaction," Abbie chuckled. "As scary as he is to this city's people, we wanna give him a run for his money before his attacks get broadcasted throughout the country. The last thing we want is for this to become a worldwide issue, and we'd like to not get the military involved." She leaned forward and glared again at the man before her. "I'm sure you understand what will happen at that point."

"Panic," Rhett replied curtly. "People will become afraid of all ability carriers, as if we're all dangerous and unpredictable."

"Still a smart cookie I see."

"I try," Rhett laughed. "How long do you think it'll take us to bring him to justice?"

Abbie's eyes gleamed with hope and determination. "As long as it takes. Hopefully within the week if we can. Until then, you can stay with me. I have a spare room in my apartment. My brother used to stay in there before he joined the air force."

"That sounds great! Thank you." They both stand up and shake hands just as someone knocked outside of the office door. Abbie smiled as she went to open it.

"Perfect timing, Ethan," she said while letting a thin brunet man enter the room, and then she shut the door and locked it behind him. By the sight of him, with his neatly pressed slacks and eccentric blazer, Rhett guessed that he worked in the fashion industry. However, he also seemed young. About early twenties. If he was in the industry, he couldn't have been there for very long. If that was the case, someone high up must've noticed his talent.

"This is the guy?" the young man asked, eyeing the taller one up and down, inch by inch.

"Yes, this is Rhett," Abbie replied, suddenly beaming as she watched him circle Rhett. "Rhett, this is Ethan. He's a costume designer I hired to help design you an outfit to keep you safe, well-equipped, and anonymous while confronting Gemini. He's worked in the movie industry for the past five years, and has even equipped our detectives with disguises. He's very good at what he does, and is in our ring of confidentiality regarding this case."

"In other words, you can trust me," Ethan summarized as he sauntered around Rhett, pulling out a roll of measuring tape from his pocket. He wrapped it quickly around Rhett's waist and scrawled the measurements onto his hand with pen. "I've never worked with a possessor before," Ethan commented with a wide smile. "What exactly can you do?" He then stretched his tape out to measure the length of Rhett's long legs.

"I... My physical abilities are strengthened. You know, running, lifting, throwing, pushing, pulling. I would be banned from every sports team if I used my ability. I'm not really sure how much I've been enhanced, since I've gotten stronger as I've aged." Rhett blushed, as hearing himself talk about his abilities made him feel kind of like a celebrity.

"Something to do with that pink crystal you hide under your tee shirt, right? Speaking of, if you want to make that more discreet you might want to think about multiple layers or denser materials so people can't see it." Rhett fumbled to cover the gemstone in question, embarrassed of its apparent exposure through his thin, green logo tee. "How did you get it?"

Rhett hesitated before taking the gem necklace out of his shirt. "I... My brother found it actually," he explained, half of himself not wanting to talk about it. "The... The mine caved in, and I used it to... try and save him." He took the crystal in his hands and committed his gaze to it, recalling that fateful day. "Using these abilities like this... would help me do right by him... He would be proud of me." He cracked a tearful smile. "It would make up for what I failed to do for him."

"Aw, Rhett... don't say that," Abbie said, rushing over to comfort her friend. "I heard about that incident, and you did everything you could for Cole." She turned his face so he could look her in the eye. "And you're right. He would be proud of you and what you're here to do."

Ethan scrawled his final needed measurements onto his hand before stuffing the measuring tape into his pocket. "I'm all done here," he announced proudly. "The costume should be done by lunch time tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Rhett gasped.

"Well, most of it is already done. The chief had me start it weeks ago. I just have to alter its measurements due to your height." He looked back up at the taller man and chuckled to himself. "I mean, she said you were tall, but wow! And I mean that in the best way possible. You could have a future in modeling if you wanted to."

Rhett blushed at the compliment as Ethan left the station. Abbie moved to her filing cabinet and took out a folder of papers and legal documents for Rhett to sign. She again explained the importance of Rhett being legally able to fight for the city of Los Angeles. That if something were to happen to anybody or any kind of property, he wouldn't be held accountable and the local government would take care of everything. Rhett understood and filled everything out as fast as he could, as Abbie promised to take him out on the town and treat him to a celebratory coffee.

"Do you think we'll see Gemini while we're out?" Rhett asked while Abbie put the finished papers into a special envelope. She didn't hesitate to answer his easy question.

"Doubt it. If you saw him already today, we shouldn't see him again until tomorrow."

"What makes you say that?" Rhett asked, opening the office door for his friend.

"His appearances seem to be a once-a-day thing, and seem to happen at a random time and place. At least so far. He hasn't been around long enough to really track his pattern yet." Abbie led Rhett down he station corridor and dropped off the sealed paperwork at the front desk to send out for approval. "I have a small collection of tapes for you to check out back at he apartment if you'd like to take a look at them."

"That would be perfect, thank you."

Abbie led Rhett to her Honda Accord. Rhett immediately grew giddy at the thought of incoming goodies. He hadn't had anything to eat or drink since that morning, and was so excited to try out some local cuisine - even if it was just a little nibble from a coffee shop.

During the drive, something about his meeting with Ethan came to mind. "Back in the office," he started, turning to Abbie as she drove, "Ethan called me a... possessor. What did he mean by that?"

Abbie's eyebrows shot upwards. "You don't watch a lot of news I take it," she replied with a lighthearted chuckle. "That's the word the media decided to use to attribute to people with abilities. When more and more individuals came out as having these unique abilities, they gained he media's attention."

Rhett threw himself forward in disbelief. "Geez, how many of us are there then if the media's on us?"

"They say the numbers increase every month. This country alone right now has about five to seven percent. That means one out of twenty at the most is a possessor. And so far, they're all different. Even some babies are becoming born with abilities, so not everyone picked theirs up by chance like you did."

Rhett took his gem out of his shirt again and really considered the idea of getting his abilities from birth. It may be possible that this is how these kids today are being born with abilities. He wondered if his constant exposure to his rhodolite piece would make him able to conceive a child born with those abilities one day. He figured a child like that would be insane to try to raise. Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he put the gem back under his shirt and nodded as he looked out the window.


	3. Coffee and a View

The car pulled up to a retro-themed diner and coffee shop. It reminded Rhett of some of the movies he saw growing up.

 "Is my jet lag so obvious that you wanted to take me to get coffee?" he joked.

Abbie parked and turned off the engine with a chortle. "Honestly, I just come here all the time. Wanted to share my favorite haunt with my old friend."

The two walked into the venue and a little bell rang above the door. Immediately, a young lady greeted them at the counter and encouraged them to seat themselves to a booth or table of their choice. Rhett snickered and claimed the tall table in the corner. He slipped into the rotating seat with ease as he smirked at the difficulty Abbie was having in hers.

"You had to pick the tallest table in the joint, didn't you?" Abbie asked with a grunt as she finally mounted herself onto the seat.

"I couldn't help myself." A server then arrived and introduced herself before taking their coffee orders. As soon as she scampered off to prepare their specialty coffees, a man caught Rhett's interest on the opposite side of the diner. He felt the stranger staring as he sipped his own drink. His dark hair curled up around his ears and framed his squarish glasses nicely. He didn't seem like he kind of guy to hang out in a place like this, or even like someone living out here near L.A. Rhett wondered why he stood out to him so much. He couldn't tell if he looked like someone he knew or if he just found him interesting to look at. He was so focused on him that he didn't realize Abbie had asked him a question. He blinked rapidly and shook himself back to reality.

"Absolutely!" he blurted as his heart practically leapt from his chest. Abbie's eyebrows turned upward in concern.

"I was asking how you like the city so far," she replied before peeking behind her. "What are you looking at?"

"You know," Rhett answered, playing it cool, "just looking around." Abbie swiveled back to face Rhett with widened eyes and a smirk playing at her lips.

"You're checking that guy out back there, aren't you?"

Rhett blushed at the accusation, but suddenly wondered if that was why that guy was staring at him. He was in California, after all. He wasn't in conservative North Carolina for the time being. He figured he could explore that while he could since he was away from judging eyes, but his job had to come first. He looked past Abbie again to find that the man had vanished.

"Well, I'm ready to head out if you are," Abbie said, waking Rhett from his thoughts. She dropped some cash on the table for their drinks and tip before hopping off her chair. "We have some work to do."

"Right... Right." With that, Rhett followed his friend out of the venue.

Abbie drove him to her apartment building. The townhouse was very sleek and contemporary, climbing about five stories high and had white rectangular pieces jutting out from the top two floors. It was nothing like the buildings Rhett had seen in North Carolina. He was surprised at how comfortable he felt about staying in a place like this.

He helped Abbie carry in the boxes of VHS tapes from the station. Some of them were collected from news footage, but the majority of them came from city security footage.

"I haven't seen this many tapes since childhood," Rhett laughed as Abbie scanned her ID by the front door. "How come you're not using satellite data or discs?"

Abbie grunted as she shoved the door open. "They're less likely to be tampered with, since it's more of a hassle to do so seamlessly with physical tape. Digital can be hacked and overrided from any person with a computer who knows what they're doing, but with tapes they'd have to get it themselves, undetected. That's not something that happens easily."

"Yeah, that makes sense." The two walked to and inside the elevator. Abbie pressed the button for the third floor. Once they arrived to the apartment, Abbie then led Rhett to his room. It was relatively small with a twin XL bed and a lightly scratched wooden dresser with one of those televisions with a VCR and DVD player built in. Rhett hadn't seen one of those since the mid-2000s.

"Make yourself at home," Abbie chimed, letting Rhett enter first. They both plopped their boxes of tapes beside the bed.

"The room's great," Rhett said with a smile. "It's very nostalgic... even though it was never my room."

Abbie swept her sore hands together as she looked around the room. "I cleaned it up a little bit for you. Didn't have too much time, so sorry I didn't get a chance to dust in here. The sheets, however are clean as a whistle."

"It's fine. Thanks for letting me stay here with you."

"It's really nothing. Stay as long as you need." Abbie swaggered to the door and asked, "Want pizza tonight? I can order one from next door."

"Sounds great!"

"I'll let you get settled in and what not. Do what you need to," Abbie added before leaving Rhett alone in his temporary room.

With a sigh, he grabbed the first tape he could reach and popped it into the VCR. He grabbed his notebook and pen from his backpack and immediately went to work. His eyes were glued to the screen and his hand went to town, taking notes at the speed of light. Paying special attention to Gemini's appearance and techniques. He was an interesting character, and Rhett was incredibly curious as to why someone would use their abilities this way. He paused and looked down at his current page, which now had quickly, but coherently sketched drawings in different corners of the page. The face he just finished had the most terrifying, yet mystifying gaze. He had to know more about this Gemini.


	4. New Faces

Abbie knocked before entering Rhett's room. She carefully held a paper plate with a few slices of pepperoni and hamburger pizza piled onto it. She noticed Rhett hadn't yet unpacked his belongings, but some security tapes were piled onto the dresser, seemingly already watched and not rewound.

 "You didn't even hesitate, did you?" she chuckled before placing the plate beside Rhett on the bed. "You always were quite studious." She leaned against the edge of the nightstand as she observed the tape currently playing. "Learn anything important yet?"

Rhett scratched his beard. "Did the rest of the police see these?" he asked.

"Of course," Abbie blurted, "but there's nothing else we can do about what we can see on them." Rhett peered at the screen, noticing a pattern from what he had seen so far.

"Well, I know one thing," Rhett began. "His attacks don't seem entirely random, and it doesn't look like he hits the same area more than once. When he does make his appearances, they only last for a couple minutes before he flees the scene in a plume of smoke."

"Do you think these movements travel in a certain direction?"

"The hits or the fleeing?"

"Both, I guess," answered Abbie with a shrug. Rhett flipped through his notes.

"The hits don't seem to have a trail, but the fleeing movements might. Of course, I'm not familiar enough with the city yet to be sure."

"I can help with that. You can also use the terminals and equipment we have at the station. You don't have to do all this stuff in this cramped little room."

Rhett shook his head. "With no hints on Gemini's identity, using a terminal wouldn't be of much use right now. For all we know, he could also be one of your men."

Abbie's nose crinkled into a slight snarl. "He's not one of them."

"You don't know that for sure..."

"I do," Abbie barked, backing away from the nightstand. Her stubborn expression refused to even twitch as her gaze fixed onto Rhett's face. After a moment, she inhaled with closed eyes and she calmed down. "But if you'd rather work here, I can print out a map of the city for you to work with, and I'll see about renting out some equipment from the station for when you need it."

Rhett hesitated before grabbing his pizza, cocking a concerned eyebrow at his old friend before taking a hefty bite.  
"Thanks," he said through half-chewed pizza. "And thanks for the pizza too."

"No problem. It's the least I could do for calling you over here on such short notice."

Rhett smiled. The pizza was starting to get cold in his hand as he took another look at his old friend. She was in much better shape than she was in college - no doubt from all her hard work and training to become the chief of police. Even all those years ago she was a tough cookie, but she now had the muscles and the cold stare to show it. Everything else about her was still the same girl he remembered.

"You haven't changed much, have you?" he remarked with another bite of his dinner.

Abbie chortled. "Neither did you, you little nerd of a beanstalk." They both laughed. "My dad tried so hard to set us up, you know. You were such a big shot in his eyes."

"Little did he know we were on totally different leagues," Rhett scoffed.

"I'm not even in a league!" Abbie added, exuberantly throwing her arms about.

"I still can't believe how great you're doing though," Rhett sighed, eating his last bite of pizza. "Like, even though you're not doing what you got a degree for, you've still found something you love to do! And gosh, you're even at the top! That's a calling if I've ever seen one."

Abbie smiled. "Maybe this favor will wake up your true calling, Rhett." She playfully punched his shoulder before taking his plate. "You should get some air. You've been looking at that TV for far too long."

"Yeah, I'll take a walk or something. Explore the area," he replied with a stretch of his back and arms. He dug through his bag for his earbuds before getting off the bed.

"Have fun," Abbie said as she took the plate out to do dishes. Rhett started his walking playlist on his phone and headed outside.

He had gone half a block lightly jogging while jamming to his tunes when he realized just how beautiful the LA sunset was. The pink and orange sky settled right above the park, framed stunningly by the tall palm trees lining the outer gate. He stopped for a moment to take a picture, but was distracted by a somewhat familiar figure sprawled over a bench in front of the park's iron fence.

The man's dark hair flopped over his sleeping face. His glasses had tipped askew down his nose. If he wasn't dressed so cleanly, Rhett would've assumed this man was homeless from the way he was taking over the bench. But he also knew that face. There was something comforting about him that drew Rhett to tap him awake. The man jolted up with a sharp squeak and clambered to gather his legs against his chest.

"Don't worry," Rhett soothed. "I'm not gonna mug you or anything." The man didn't budge on the death grip he had on his legs. His big, blue eyes dug piercingly into Rhett's. "I think... yeah... I saw you earlier today! At that coffee shop downtown? The local one with the tall tables?"

The man's eyes relaxed a bit as he looked Rhett up and down. The grip on his legs also loosened some.

"I... I can't get through the day without my daily coffee visit..." the man spoke softly as he let his legs drop down until the toes of his shoes scraped against the sidewalk.

"I don't blame ya," Rhett laughed, cautiously taking a seat beside the man. "That was the best coffee I ever had." He smiled at the smirk that played on the man's face. He carefully brought a hand out towards him. "I'm Rhett, by the way."

The man shot an odd look at his hand before bringing his own shaky hand forward to meet with Rhett's. "Link."

The feeling of shaking the other's hand, officially meeting and acknowledging each other physically brought a huge grin to both of their faces. Link's seemed to graduate the longer they stayed in contact, but Rhett hoped it wasn't in awkwardness. He felt the need to impress this man, especially if he was staring at him for the reason Rhett thought he was. He wanted to say something to get Link's attention.

"You look exhausted," he ended up saying, mentally kicking himself for the dumb comment.

Thankfully, Link chuckled. "Well, you did interrupt my nap," he remarked with a cocked eyebrow.

Rhett blushed. "Right... sorry." He quickly attempted to fix his screw-up. "What I meant was... how come you're out here and not sleeping at home? You live around here?"

Link shrugged. "Kinda I guess." He looked into the distance, as if he was trying to look if he could see his place from the bench. "It's a bit of a walk, but I like the area. Especially the park. It reminds me of home."

Rhett was glad to have gotten Link to calm down and open up to him, and grew curious with what he implied. "Where's home?" Link turned back to reality with a slight frown.

"Nowhere special," he replied bluntly. His attention suddenly focused toward Rhett's dangling earbud. He pointed to it with a smile. "Is that Lionel Richie I hear in there?" Rhett blushed at how Link could hear his music from so far and could tell what it was. His cheeks balled up as his head tilted down.

"Yeah. I'm a big fan," he squeaked. Link giggled as he looked up at the bashful man before him.

Suddenly, Rhett's phone buzzed in his pocket. He fumbled to dig it out and saw that Abbie texted him, asking when he would be back home so she can lock up. Rhett sighed heavily as he shoved the phone back into his pocket.

"I gotta go, man. It's getting late," he moped. "You maybe wanna grab a coffee tomorrow?"

Link inhaled sharply through his nose. "I just don't know when we can meet," he replied softly. "My... schedule's all over the place."

"Give me your phone. I'll give you my number," Rhett said with a grin. Link paused only for a moment before doing what he wanted. Rhett quickly typed his number into a new contact with his name before handing it back. "Now you can call or text me when you have time to hang out."

Link smiled again. "Sounds great! Thanks." Rhett popped his earbuds back into his ears and gave Link a quick salute before jogging back to his building. Link's smiling eyes never strayed from his figure as he faded into the distance.

Rhett shuffled into the apartment and made sure to lock the door behind him. "Hey!" he called out. Abbie came right out of her room, greeted Rhett back and threw herself onto the fluffy couch.

"Have a good walk?" She asked, grabbing the book she had left on the end table beside her. She was already donning her pajamas. Black tank top and dinosaur patterned pants. A pair of striped socks warmed her feet.

Rhett smiled. "It's beautiful out there."

Abbie lifted her legs onto the couch, fully lounging now. "Yeah, the palm trees look particularly nice when the sun goes down." She gestures at Rhett with the book. "You should get to bed early to help make up for the jet lag. We're leaving early tomorrow anyway... to do a demonstration for city council."

"City council?!"

"Yeah. They wanna know what your abilities are to determine the boundaries of your legality. For permits, a contract, and what not."

Rhett chuckled as he leaned into the doorframe to his room. "Wow, I never thought becoming a superhero would require so much paperwork."

Abbie scoffed as she flipped to the page she left off in her book. "Speaking of, you might want to think about giving a name for yourself before the press give you one. Even Gemini beat them to their nightmarish naming system."

Rhett nodded as he started into his room. "I'll have to sleep on it then, I see," he giggled, shutting the door behind him.

He plopped onto his bed and snatched his notebook. He flipped through the pages, skimming his notes and examining his drawings. With a sigh, he closed it and dropped it onto the nightstand. His other hand found his rhodolite gem as he wondered about what to call himself. Was the media really that bad at naming things? He was always so bad at making decisions... He giggled that he really did seem to fit the stereotype of the Libra he was.

The Rhodolite Libra.


	5. A Costumed Examination

Abbie drove Rhett to the fire station the next morning. The two of them offered to help set up his obstacle course and with any other tasks on the training grounds. Rhett particularly liked that they had a proxy building that was charred up from training new firefighters. He thought that kind of training was only done in movies, so he was incredibly excited about getting to use that. They were also allowed to borrow a few military training obstacles to really get a full exhibition of Rhett's abilities. They had just finished setting up the last bit when Ethan arrived.

 "The costume is complete," he sang. He held a large white box out to Rhett and opened the lid. At first glance, Rhett fluttered his eyes in surprise.

"It's... pink!"

"Made specifically to match your fancy little crystal there," Ethan replied, tapping the bump the gem had made from under Rhett's shirt. The motion frazzled Rhett a bit. "In fact," Ethan added, "wearing it on a string like this during a fight would be so sloppy and risky, so I made a compartment for the suit to hold it for you. And don't worry. It would still be right on top of your heart where you like it to be." He lifted the top of the suit to show off the compartment. It was like a tiny box with a clear front panel, and had an indentation where the gem could click into place with ease. Suddenly, the color didn't seem like such a big deal. It seemed pretty cool. Rhett was beaming like a child in a toy store at the idea of trying it on, and he wasted no time in doing so.

He stepped out of the firehouse restroom after a few minutes, tentatively moving closer to Ethan and Abbie. He kept his hands clasped in front of his crotch as he presented himself. Abbie cooed to herself at how small he seemed, regardless of his actual towering height.

"It feels..." Rhett squeaked softly, "pretty skintight." Ethan tutted at him with a rapid shake of the head.

"No, Rhett!" He shuffled over and threw Rhett's arms to his sides for a better view. "It fits you perfectly! It's only as skintight as a snorkeling suit. Nothing is showing that would make you indecent. You look marvelous! Just hold on while I grab your helmet." Ethan was only gone for a few seconds before he scurried in with a pink helmet to match the suit. With a smooth, grandeur motion he held it to Rhett, who took it without hesitation. He gently pushed his fluffy head into the helmet, careful not to ruin his pompadour too much.

"That's the button, right?" Abbie asked Ethan with a big grin. Ethan nodded excitedly. "Rhett, push the button. You're gonna love this." With a chuckle, Rhett followed her instructions and pushed the little button on his temple. In a flash, a mirror-reflective visor shot out from the helmet and covered his eyes, cheeks, and nose.

"Whoa! This is neat!" Rhett yipped.

"This visor is a highly reflective material, as to help hide your identity, as well as protect your face from injury," Ethan informed.

"How come it doesn't cover my mouth area?" Rhett asked, touching his mouth and beard in concern.

"The chief here told me about your screech ability, so I didn't want to impede or inhibit your actions," Ethan replied. "Besides, the beard showing gives the whole look some more personality I think."

It was then the fire chief came forth to announce that the mayor just arrived and that they're ready for the exhibition. Abbie patted Rhett on the back and walked with him to the training grounds. Ethan followed along with a spring in his step.

When they got there, the mayor and his council of attorneys and executive officials were already sitting in folding chairs with notepads in hand or laptops open. A suitcase, no doubt filled with legal paperwork, sat between the mayor and his personal attorney. Rhett gulped at the sight. He really hoped his abilities wouldn't frighten them, and that his exhibition would impress them. He soon got the chance to shake everyone's hands and get started with his exhibition. The fire chief led him through each of the tests, going from simple things like basic physical tests, such as timed speed tests and jumping onto platforms of varying heights, to situational stunts like moving heavy debris, rescuing mannequins from underneath a crushed car, and escaping with survivors from the burning building. Next was the sound test for calculating the strength and frequency of his screech ability. Just as they finished hooking him up to all the sound equipment, Abbie got a sudden call on her radio.

"Calling all units. We've got a Gemini sighting on North Hill Street in the Chinatown district."

"What?!" Abbie breathed. "This has to be the earliest he's ever made an appearance..."

"Should I go?" Rhett asked, tilting the visor away to peek better at his friend. She immediately shook a hand at him.

"No!" she said sternly. She turned to the mayor. "I'm sorry. I didn't think this would happen. We can finish this another time if-"

"Don't worry about it. Do what you need to do," the mayor replied humbly. He turned and shook Rhett's hand again. "We'll talk with you soon, my good man. Stay safe."

"Thank you, sir," Rhett answered with a bowed head. The second the mayor left the area, Rhett turned back to Abbie. "Can I just... observe? Out of uniform if need be?"

Abbie gave him a stern look. "Don't go anywhere near the site until _after_ the dust settles. Literally." Rhett sighed in defeat. "You can watch the street security footage later, where you are safe and out of the way."

"Okay," Rhett agreed half-heartedly. "I should probably take off the costume then, for now."

"Sounds good," Abbie nodded. "I'll see you later." With that, she left the station and headed to the scene in her cruiser. Rhett sulked back to the restroom to change.

By the time he finished and was back in his regular street clothes, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Link!

_-Just got out if you're free.-_

Rhett smiled and responded.

_-Is Gemini out around the area?-_

_-No. We should be fine.-_

_-Then I'll be right over :D -_


	6. The First Date

Rhett practically frolicked through the coffee shop door, and was thrilled to see Link already at a table with two cups on it. He jolted to a stop when he registered Link's appearance. His hair was ruffled and had remnants of white dust in his dark hair. The bags under his eyes were dark and swollen.

 "Link!" Rhett squeaked in a whisper, careful as to not make a scene. "What happened to you? You look awful." He immediately started brushing some of the white dust from Link's hair. Some pieces of it were hard and chunky, like bits from a plastered wall. The pieces blew a cloud of white around Link's head, causing him to sneeze.

"Makes for a great first date, doesn't it?" Link coughed. "And thanks."

"No problem, man. Are you okay?"

Link brushed some remaining crumbs off his shoulder. "It's nothing. Don't... don't worry about it."

"Was Gemini involved?" Rhett asked, not missing a beat. Link, however, seized up at the very sound of that name. The color in his face dropped five shades paler. No sound could escape his throat. "Seriously, Link... you look like a building fell on you!" Link mustered up the little courage that hadn't leaked from his body and finally spoke.

"I guess you could say that," Link snorted, starting to take a tiny sip from his hot coffee.

"What happened?" Rhett asked, a little too eagerly. "What were you doing before Gemini att-"

"-Stop! Stop saying that name, okay?!" Rhett fell quiet at the interruption. Link took a breath and pinched his brow. "Just... please. I wanna go a couple hours forgetting that monster exists for once."

Rhett smiled softly and reached for Link's hand. "That's fine," he soothed. "I guess I'm just glad you're safe and made it out okay." Link's gaze went from their touching hands, up Rhett's arm and to his eyes. His heart jumped at how soft, compassionate, and unfaltering his gaze was. He blinked rapidly as he returned to reality.

"I, uh, bought you a coffee," Link stuttered, scooting the hot mug in front of Rhett. "It's the same way I've been getting it for a while." Rhett lifted the coffee and sniffed through the steam. "It's my favorite, and... well, so I hope you like it too."

"Ever switch things up?" Rhett asked with a smirk as he brought the brim of the cup closer to his lips.

"Call me a creature of habit," Link laughed as he took a bigger sip than before, now that it wasn't burning his tongue as badly. Rhett nodded at the remark and took a sip. It had a hint of strawberry flavor to the coffee, giving it the perfect amount of sweetness to his specific taste. It was unusual and unique. No one would ever think to order something like this, yet Link had. He had discovered something magical and shared it with him. It was the sweetest gesture anyone had ever made for him.

"Holy crap that's good," Rhett whispered before downing more of his drink like he suddenly needed to drown himself in it. Link giggled to himself. "You got good taste, my friend. Thanks for sharing your wondrous creation with me. I'll have to return the favor next time we go out." Link blushed at his words. The promise of them meeting again made him the happiest he'd been in a very long time. But then something screamed at the back of his mind.

"But of course, my schedule's still a mess," he reminded both Rhett and himself. "Things at work are complicated right now, so my schedule is unpredictable and unstable."

"That's okay," Rhett assured. "You just say the word and I'll be wherever you want me. Unless something comes up, I should be able to work around what I have going on."

"You got a flexible schedule I'm assuming?"

"You could say that," Rhett said with a grin. Link's smile quickly faded, and morphed into a sort of cringe. "You okay?"

"Excuse me for a moment," Link grumbled, shoving himself off the seat before scrambling to the restroom. He was grateful that it was only one big room and not a collection of stalls or urinals. He locked himself in before throwing himself above the sink, catching himself with his arms. His fingers were pressed white against the edge of the tiled countertop. His insides felt like jell-o and his head throbbed as if his brain was trying to bust out of his skull. He dreaded having to look up into the mirror, but he knew it was unavoidable. There, looking back at him was the reflection of his pale grey face and now pupilless blue eyes seeping into his soul within. His dark hair floated slightly around his face,  almost like someone rubbed it with a balloon, but more wispy and not straight out. Two versions of his own voice spoke in unison.

_Look at you, you pathetic waste of a human. You think you're capable of having a friend?!_

They laughed a sinister chuckle.

_You're not even capable of being yourself... How can you expect him to care about someone as broken and monstrous as you?!_

"I... I'm not..." Link barely forced out. His own voice ringing alone for a small bit before being taken over again.

_Liar._

_I know who you really are. What do you think would happen if your new boyfriend knew? The freak you are. The things you have done! He would cast you aside so fast what's left of your weak little heart would crumble and fall to oblivion._

"Sh... Shut up! Shut up!" Link forced into a yell. "Y-you don't know what you're talking about! And... and I'm gonna stop you! I'm gonna take control of you and you're not gonna be able to do anything about it! This is me - this is MY body! Once I have complete control over you you'll be back to what you're supposed to be: an ability! Not an identity!"

Effortlessly, the other side takes a hold of him again, and breathes a snort.

_Okay. Sure. And even if you ever got to that point... which, by the way, will not happen... do you think he'd accept you as a possessor?_

There was a brief moment of silence before Link regained control again. Fully this time. His eyes were back to normal and his hair no longer defied gravity. His skin, however, was still a pale grey. The jell-o feeling in his chest crawled up his throat. He coughed it out harshly. Puffs of smoke escaped his mouth each time until his skin was back to its normal color. He wasted no more time in that bathroom and threw himself through the door to rejoin Rhett.


	7. America's First Superhero

Link could only stay a brief while before saying goodbye to Rhett. They parted ways with a hug that warmed Link's soft heart. Rhett almost didn't want to let go. He enjoyed spending time with his new friend. He felt a strong connection even from when he woke him up on the park bench the other night. He was excited to meet up with him again, but he had to head out too. He was certain Abbie would be back from her last Gemini clean up. And he was right. By the time he returned to the fire station, Abbie was having a talk with a couple other cops. They all turned upon hearing the main doors open to see Rhett return. Abbie stared with intensity as her eyebrows arched downwards.

 "Where on Earth have you been?!" she reprimanded. " _Please_ tell me you didn't go to that attack site."

Rhett gestured for her to calm down. "Don't worry," he replied. "I avoided the area like you said, and had not even the _slightest_ encounter with Gemini."

"Good," she sighed. "The mayor just called. After consulting with his people, he said he'd be honored to have a possessor like you protecting our city. They want you to stop by the city hall to sign the contracts and such."

Rhett clapped and leapt for joy. "Then let's go to city hall!" He snatched Abbie's arm and zoomed to the door. He almost let her fling against the station doors, but stopped her last second and pulled her back gently. He apologized sheepishly before opening the door for her and letting her go through first.

"Let me drive us there before you make me puke," she said as she waddled her way outside.

The drive to city hall was quick, though Rhett would've preferred to run there and get this legal crap done with in a fraction of the time. Luckily for him, there wasn't too much paperwork for him to fill out. He kept copies of some of the more important papers, which had the conditions and limitations for him to reference in the future. He left with a permit of certification, complete with a photo of him in the costume and helmet. He joked to himself that it was a better picture than the one on his driver's license. Abbie interrupted that thought with an energetic handshake.

"Congratulations, my friend," she said with a smile. "You've become the first certified crime-fighting possessor in the country." Rhett's jaw dropped hard like a brick.

"I'm America's first superhero?!" he squeaked. His eyes were big and full of childish wonder.

"That's right," she replied, squinting at the name on his card, "Rhodolite Libra." She cocked an eyebrow at him. "I mean, it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue nicely, but I see what you're doing there."

"I thought going with the same name scheme as Gemini would be an immediate call-out for him. Make him feel like I'm truly a force to be reckoned with."

"Sure," Abbie said with a smirk. "Also, I spoke with the fire chief. You were given the allowance to practice on their training grounds any time. As far as the outfit goes, I'd recommend keeping it on under your everyday clothes for quick response when called to action. You know, like Superman."

"I'll try that as soon as we get back go the apartment," Rhett chirped.

"So soon? Gemini showed up already today. You don't need to jump in until probably tomorrow morning." Rhett had already started shuffling to the cruiser.

"I know," he answered. "I just want to start getting used to it and stuff." He stopped and turned to face her. "Also I wanna use the mirror in the den. As much as I love the license photo, I never got to see what the rest of me looks like."

They soon arrived back at the apartment and Rhett wasted no time in checking out his costume. Once he got the whole thing on and ready, helmet and all, he rushed over to the full mirror by the apartment door and posed before it. He flexed his arms and legs, and smiled like he was going to be on a magazine. Abbie snuck over and giggled at the display.

"What, are you practicing so you can impress the ladies?" she teased.

Rhett scoffed in response. "Pshhh... no..."

"Oh my God you are...!" she gasped. Rhett dropped his pose and tried so hard not to let his lips deform into a smile.

"No!" he corrected, more sternly this time. "It's... actually a guy."

"Is it _Ethan_?" she teased. Rhett bursted into a hearty laugh as he brought his hand up in wordless protest.

"No, no. I met this guy," he said once he was able to form words without laughing. "Link. There's something different, yet charming about him."

"Well, no matter how cute he is, remember to keep your new alter ego a secret. Even from him." Rhett frowned at her in disappointment. "Yes," she assured. "Even Link. Telling anyone could not only endanger your life, Rhett, but his too. You don't want him to know who you really are just yet."

Suddenly, a crackly voice shouted from Abbie's room. She rushed to hear it more clearly. She quickly returned and shouted to Rhett.

"It's Gemini! Again!"

"What?!" Rhett gasped.

"I know! He's down the block. Look for the big smoke clouds!"

"Roger that, chief!"

With no time to lose, Rhett darted out of the building and bounded up high, landing onto the rooftop. Out in the near distance was that vortex he had seen once before. With his heart throbbing rapidly, he sprang to the scene with a mighty leap. He darted his head in every direction until he saw just the figure he was looking for.

A puff of blue smoke shot out from around an apartment building. Not too much damage had been made to it, compared to Gemini's previous attacks, but Rhett couldn't tell if it was because he had possibly just gotten there or that Gemini was tired out and shouldn't have shown up twice to begin with. Either way, it looked like he wasn't going to be there for much longer, as he turned away from the scene, appearing to flee the area. Without much thought, Rhett used his super screech to get his attention.

"Hey!" he barked. The sound waves that emitted from his mouth seemed to discombobulate Gemini into turning around.

"What on earth was that?!" Gemini grumbled, searching for the source of the booming voice. Rhett jumped to the ground and landed with an earth-rattling stomp. "You? What the hell do you want?!" The double voice of Gemini sent shivers down Rhett's spine.

"I... I'm the one who's gonna put a stop to this ridiculous mess you're making of this city!" Rhett shouted, not so loud as his super screech, but loud enough for Gemini to hear him from the air. Nearby citizens peeked out from wherever they were hiding to see what was about to happen. Hope glimmered in their eyes as they saw their new hero standing his ground against the one that had been inflicting fear on them.

Gemini laughed. "Oh please... What are you gonna do, _talk_ me to death?!" Before he could get another cackle out, Rhett bounded upwards with incredible speed and landed a mighty punch to Gemini's cheek. The man went flying before he poofed into the atmosphere, escaping without a trace.

"Let that be your first lesson!" Rhett taunted, watching tiny embers and ashes trickle down from the sky. The citizens who had been watching all began to applaud. It soon escalated to cheering, and Rhett immediately blushed at the motion.

News vans pulled up to the scene, and the people that came out of them rushed to be the first one to capture their new hero on camera. Due to their words, Rhett realized they were recording live. He looked around at the crowd around him, not knowing how to react to the situation. A couple news reporters shoved their way through and stretched their microphones out to Rhett as they asked seemingly endless questions about who he was and what he expects to do to handle Gemini.

Meanwhile, on a street not far away, a pile of dust and embers fall into the figure of a man. Not just any man. Link. His body toppled to the pavement, and he let out a grunt on impact. He sobbed there on the ground for a moment, helpless, cold, and aching. He pulled himself up against a closed up store and peered at his reflection in the dark window. He lightly grazed the side of his face and shuddered at the feel of swelling in his cheek. He was thankful he still had all his teeth and his eyesight, but was absolutely shocked to feel that punch through his other form. The fact that the effect bleed through seriously meant something.

A spark of hope came over him in that moment, that with this injury, maybe Gemini would be kept at bay for a while. After all, it wasn't like him to take control twice in a day's time. That already put him at risk. To test that, he decided to use this time to train that devilish form out of him.


	8. A Fresh Start

"You made the news!" Abbie shrieked as she burst through Rhett's door. Rhett jolted awake, removing his eye mask with confusion in his sleepy eyes. "Your debut with Gemini last night! Someone got a shot of the whole thing on their phone! The whole country is talking about you right now! I'm so proud of you!"

 Rhett groaned. "I didn't get to arrest him though... I shouldn't have punched him that way. I let him escape." He threw the eye mask off his head and onto the foot of his bed.

Abbie rushed over to comfort him. "Oh, but Rhett! You don't realize what you did! No one got hurt. You stopped him from causing damage, while at the same time posed as a threat to him." Rhett replayed the scene from last night in his head. She was right. He showed up early enough that there were no casualties, and he sent Gemini flying. That counts as a win, regardless of the fact that Gemini was still out there.

"Yeah... I guess I did," he admitted softly to himself, nodding to help him really get that through his head.

"Do you have a plan for your next encounter?" Abbie asked with eyes wide with wonder.

Rhett shrugged. "I don't know. For now, it's probably best to just focus on keeping him from making damage. Like hurting people, destroying buildings and stuff like that." Abbie's smile turned into a hesitant frown.

"When do you think it'll be time to really bring him to justice?" she asked in a lower tone than before.

"Probably when he's hit his weakest. When he finally decides he can't outdo me." Abbie's brows shot upwards at the remark. After one encounter with Gemini, his confidence seemed to skyrocket overnight. She hoped this wasn't just him letting his power get to his head. Rhett continued, pulling her a bit back out from her thoughts. "In the meantime, I'll continue my research and training. I'll do whatever it takes to bring whoever his guy is to justice. I could even interview people while in costume about who they think Gemini is if need be."

Just then, Rhett's phone buzzed on the nightstand beside him. He immediately perked up and swiped it. It was a message from Link, saying he couldn't hang out today and that he would let him know when he can do coffee or something again. Abbie watched the smile fade from his lips and cocked a curious eyebrow.

"You could probably take leads as yourself as well," Abbie suggested, continuing their interrupted conversation. "Because anyone could be Gemini."

"Geez you're making it sound like _you're_ Gemini," Rhett teased as he finally got up out of bed and stretched until his back snapped into place.

"I just don't want you to get hurt... and not just in the physical way." She moved towards the door as Rhett grabbed his towel and hair products from his bag. "You, uh, want eggs?"

"Sure!" chimed Rhett, who had everything he needed and hurried to the bathroom now that food was in his near future.

Meanwhile, in an apartment building not too far away, Link sat at a small card table in a room only lit by a candle in front of him. He focused on the plume of smoke that rose from the burning wick. With as much energy as he could muster, he snatched the smoke using the willpower of his mind and redirected it away from the smoke detector above. He released the smoke and let out the heavy breath he had been holding. He could've sworn he had already started to sweat, and he had only been practicing for a few minutes.

He looked back up and smiled at his accomplishment. He had to remind himself not to get too excited, for this was just the beginning. He really wished he had practiced his ability more when he was young, but he knew he couldn't have done that if he wanted to. Without even thinking, he turned to his phone on the counter behind him. He reached for it, but paused. Something Gemini said to him yesterday rang in his memory and screamed at him to refrain from calling Rhett about his accomplishment.

_Do you think he'd accept you as a possessor?_

Link struggled to pull his hand back. He sighed in defeat, staring back up at his smoke detector.

"I can't tell him about any of this, can I?" he whispered with a soft grunt. "But... I can't just keep it a secret from him either!" He dropped his head into his arms folded on the table. He stared at the wick of his candle as if the answer he needed was there.

With a deep breath, he tried his trick again, lighting the candle with a snap of his fingers.


	9. Training With the Master

Rhett rubbed his burning eyes as he glanced back up at the television screen. Two large piles of unrewound, watched tapes sat beside it. His hand was cramping up pretty badly from hours of nonstop notes. Abbie's hands were growing tired as well, making sketches of Gemini as quickly and as accurately as she could. They only had a couple crust pieces from whatever pizza was left from the night before.

 Abbie dropped her pencil onto her open sketchbook and stretched. She then checked the time on her phone.

"Geez, it's almost four o'clock already," she commented. "And all day no one has seen or reported on any Gemini business... That's unbelievable!" Rhett felt the need to check the time on his too, as the time she announced sounded too bizarre to be true. Yet she was right. Most of these Gemini sightings that he'd seen on the tapes took place around midday or late in the morning. If Gemini was to make an appearance today, they would've definitely heard something about it on Abbie's radio. "You must've really put a number on him," Abbie complimented. Rhett decided he should take a break too, so he took a moment to stretch and leaned back onto his pillows.

"Or," Rhett added, "he could also be garnering strength and planning to use it against us... but it's still too early to know for sure. He could still show up later tonight, or even early tomorrow. I would start worrying if he waits over twenty-four hours before making another appearance."

"And will you be ready to face him again?" Abbie asked. She closed her sketchbook with the pencil inside, acting as a bookmark. Rhett took a moment to really think about what he was going to do next time he met Gemini. A single uppercut won't be enough to stop him again, and if he did come back stronger he needed to be able to prove himself in a fight. He doubted Gemini had formal combat training, so maybe he would gain an edge on him if he did.

"I think I can be," he finally answered. "Is there like some kind of gym I can go to around here for formal combat training?"

Abbie scoffed. "In Los Angeles? You could find one of those just about every street corner. The real question is whether or not they have a trainer that is willing to work with a possessor." She hummed to herself for a short while before she snapped her fingers. "I know of one who's had plenty of experience with possessors. He should be able to help... but put your suit on before we go."

"Why?"

"Anonymity's your best friend right now, Rhett. Hold onto it while you can." With that, she headed out to her cruiser and waited for Rhett to change before taking him to the gym she wanted to take him.

The place seemed somewhat old, like this gym wasn't the only thing the building was used for. In fact, the whole plaza was likely reused for many other stores, mini-food joints, and other things of the like. The inside seemed much more new and up-kept. It was clear the people who ran the gym really cared about cleanliness and modernization. Rhett could hardly tell that the treadmills were treadmills. Rhett chuckled at the idea that he just entered the future.

"Hi, is Mr. Chien here today?" Abbie asked the young lady at the front desk.

"He's here, but he's not doing another class today for another hour."

"I'm an old friend," Abbie said, holding her badge up to her casually. "I'm sure he'd be glad to see us for a little while. Besides, this is for the sake of the city." She turned her head to glance at Rhett, who stood motionless. The lady nodded and scurried off to the back of the venue. In only a few minutes, she returned with the trainer Abbie had asked for. He didn't seem to fit Rhett's premeditated visual of a physical trainer. He was on the short side and didn't seem as big and muscular as some of the clients that were working out in there. His slim, dark eyes looked calmly at the taller man before him.

"Hi, I'm Dennis!" the trainer chimed with a grin. He held out his hand towards Rhett, who hesitated only briefly at the unexpected name before taking it in his own and shaking it firmly. "Chief Carreira tells me you're a possessor hoping to capture Gemini. Is that right?"

Rhett nodded. "That's right!"

"But you have no formal combat training?"

"Nope. Not even a little bit, to be honest."

Dennis chuckled, "Well, lucky for you I specialize in ability training... as well as kickboxing, hapkido, and I lead Monday yoga classes." Before Rhett could respond, Dennis turned and offered to take him in right away.

"Can I watch?" Abbie asked eagerly as the other two started toward the back of the gym. "I got my radio on if anyone needs me at the station."

"By all means, Chief!" Dennis replied merrily. "This will be fun!"

Moments later, they finally arrive to Dennis's training area. It looked and felt like Rhett had entered a dojo or a dance studio due to its large empty space and clean, buffed floorboards. A skylight let in more than enough natural sunlight to fill the room.

"Let's start with a baseline, Mr....?"

"Uh... Rhodolite Libra," Rhett replied, trying to remember that he needed to stay anonymous as much as he could.

"Is just Libra okay with you for now?" Dennis asked. Rhett nodded. "Cool. So stand with me here in the middle of the room." He gestured a few feet in front of him, and Rhett happily followed his direction. "Start off with a battle-ready stance. Show me you're ready to either defend yourself or bop me in the nose at any second." Bashfully, Rhett spread his feet nearly a yard apart and put his fists up. The very second they reached chin level, Dennis jabbed at it, essentially making Rhett punch himself.

"Wha... What was that?!" Rhett squeaked as he rubbed the chin hiding under his beard.

"Never go mouth level. If you're gonna go that high, you should go boxer stance. Clearly, that's not what we're trying for with you." He looked down at Rhett's gangly legs and tapped one with his bare foot. "Also, go shoulder-width. Keep your feet L-shaped so that if you're pushed or grabbed at, you won't fall over as easily. Keep almost all your weight over your back leg."

Rhett smiled as he fixed his feet. He whispered, "Okay," when he was ready for the next instruction.

"Raise your hands up... just a bit," Dennis added, placing Rhett's fists exactly where they should be. His right arm kept further back than the other, and held lower, closer to the lower part of his body. The other hand was brought further out and higher, keeping it in good range for any defense movements. "Okay, now I want you to try and attack and subdue me. However you want. Go for it." Rhett hesitated and winced at the thought of accidentally hurting Dennis. He didn't know what kind of ability he had, yet here he was, asking for Rhett to go at him. "Use your ability even!" Dennis encouraged, smiling at him while in stance. Rhett breathed heavy and decided to just get it over with.

Here goes nothing, Rhett thought as his speedy fist zoomed toward Dennis. Somehow, during that flash of movement, Dennis dodged the blow, captured Rhett's arm, crunched it behind his back, and pinned him down to the ground. Rhett was astounded and didn't understand how he ended up on the floor. Abbie stood speechless. She was glad she brought Rhett to Dennis. He was the perfect teacher for him.

"Holy crap!" Rhett breathed. "What just happened? Also, ow!"

Dennis chuckled as he released his hold on Rhett's arm. He got up before offering a hand to Rhett, who, still in his stupor, took it and stood back on his feet. "Even with superhuman speed and strength, one can be subdued... He must only have to understand how to avoid it."

"What does that mean?" Rhett asked. "I should only learn how to defend myself?"

"To be skilled in combat, you must always be thinking defensively, even when acting on the offense," Dennis clarified. "You must think every move through very precisely because the second you don't, you could easily wind up flat on the ground." He smiled again at the taller man. "Get back into your stance and I'll show you what went wrong and how you could fix it."

"Like this, right?" Rhett chirped, more excited than before, but still a little afraid. Dennis really knew what he was doing, and it made Rhett realize just how much he needed this kind of training.

Dennis walked behind Rhett and asked him to make the motion of the punch again, but slower as to comprehend every detail. Rhett followed the instruction and jabbed the air softly with his right hand, holding it in place once the punch was made.

"Okay," Dennis started. "See how you went straight like that? Think about it like you're a pitcher on a baseball team. What kind of pitch is this punch like to you?"

"A... like a fastball?"

"Precisely. And fastballs, as fast as they are thrown, are still easy for the player at bat to figure out where the ball - a.k.a. your fist - is gonna go. Though of course it's gonna get there faster than some might anticipate." Dennis moved in front of Rhett, but made sure Rhett kept his fist where it was. "What I did was that I saw where your fist was aimed to go and ducked around it as soon as I could, like so." He scooted under and around to the side of Rhett. "Then grappled your forearm and pulled it behind you before you could finish your move."

"And then you kneed me to the floor, right?" Rhett asked.

"Right," Dennis answered with a smile. "But let's try a different move. Your fist is a ball again, but try to trick the batter. Strike me out." He returned to his stance and waited for Rhett's move. He took a moment to analyze his options. Once he got an idea, he sprang into action. In a swift move, Rhett ducked and spun around, trip-kicking Dennis into toppling over, before carefully uppercutting him in the ribs as he fell. Even though he held back, he seemed to do more damage than he anticipated. He hadn't realized just how little control he had over his strength. Dennis lied motionless on the floor. Rhett gasped and crawled over to him. He was incredulous as to why Abbie didn't seem fazed. Was she even paying attention? Rhett thought this man was a friend of hers, so he figured she would care more.

"Wow!!!" Dennis cheered as he suddenly popped upright. Rhett gasped and stared with saucer-sized eyes. "Sly moves there, pitch!" He patted Rhett on the shoulder. "Not only do you pack a punch, but you're a quick learner too, I see!"

"Oh! Um, thanks!" Rhett squeaked through his held breath.

"Goodness, man! You look like you've seen a ghost!" Dennis chuckled. Abbie smiled at the two of them.

"But... when I... you were flat on the floor!" Rhett shouted, finally letting all that pent up air out of his system.

"That's my ability at work, you see," Dennis replied. "My body fixes and rebuilds itself. Found that out the hard way, as you can imagine. Broke my arm in two places at the playground once, yet by the time I got to the hospital my arm was fine, stronger than before, even."

"Good gosh. That explains a lot." The two of them stood back up, and Dennis immediately held his hand out to Rhett once more.

"I would be more than happy to continue working with you, Mr. Libra. In a few minutes, you've seemed to learn more than most of my clients do in a two-hour session." Rhett accepted his hand shake and grinned like he just got hired to his dream job. "And I hope you can use what you've learned to stop Gemini once and for all."

"I will, sir." Rhett bowed his head and returned to Abbie's side.

"We can talk schedule later," Abbie said, shaking Dennis's hand as well. With that, Dennis escorted the two of them back to the front doors. Rhett felt so proud of himself, and looked to his friend for support. Instead of a smile, however, her lips were pursed in troubled thought.

"What's wrong?" Rhett asked as they both arrived at her car.

"We still haven't gotten a call about Gemini today. Not even a mention."

"Hmm... maybe we should check the news once we get back to the apartment." The two got themselves buckled, and Abbie drove them back home. They turned on the television the very moment they returned. Rhett didn't even change back out of his costume. Abbie flipped the channel straight to the local news station. An older woman with curled chestnut hair and caked-on makeup spoke to the camera with a straight face.

"There has been no sighting of Gemini in L.A. or anywhere in neighboring cities since around 7:30 last night... and the people are thanking this mysterious man who seemed to show up out of nowhere just in the nick of time. Our field reporters said he called himself 'Roadie the Pink Bruh', which is quite an interesting name if I do say so myself."

Rhett threw his head back and clutched he helmet so hard he popped it off of his head. "Are you _kidding_  me?! I told them -"

"They probably didn't hear you correctly," Abbie laughed. "Pink Bruh... goodness gracious, that's the worst!"

"Do I need the symbol painted on my back or something?! Just so they get the picture?! Gemini's not gonna be afraid of someone named 'Roadie the Pink -" He was immediately shushed so they could hear the rest of the broadcast.

"An uppercut of superhuman strength sent our villain straight into the heavens. The question of the day is whether that put a stop to him and his antics, or is this disappearance only temporary? Only time will tell. Back to you, Fred." Abbie turned off the television at the troubled face Rhett was wearing.

"I still refuse to believe that Gemini not showing up is a good thing," Rhett sighed. "This just doesn't seem right." He got up out of his seat and, with helmet in hand, began walking into his room.

Abbie watched him go into his room with worry in her eyes. She considered putting the news back on again, but she let the remote sit on the armrest of the couch and decided to go ahead and start dinner.

Meanwhile, Link was also watching the news in his own apartment. He sat there on the edge of his recliner, halfway between forms. His dark hair floated lightly off his forehead and his eyes were nearly pupilless as he listened to the broadcast. Their blue light flashed arrhythmically, glitching as his two selves fought for control. One moment they flashed in hope, while a second later they glowed in fear at the hero on the screen.

"Where'd this guy even come from?" Gemini growled through Link, bellowing with Link's own voice. "He just randomly showed up, and for _what_? Why _now_?! Who even is he, and who does he think he _is_?! That he's gonna _stop_ me?! That fighting me will put me at bay?!" He slammed his thumb onto the power button on the remote, and Link shoved his way into controlling his body for just a moment.

"Go away!" he snapped, panting heavily. Gemini only laughed in the confines of their own mind.

_You know that ain't gonna happen... As long as you continue to fear yourself and this ability of yours, I'll never leave._

"I'm not... afraid of you," Link responded through gritted teeth.

_That's not true and you know it. I am you. I know what's going on in this head of yours._

Link balled his fists so tightly they started to shake. Plumes of light grey smoke emanated from between his fingers. The plumes quickly formed clouds around him, and he squealed as he saw them nearly touch his smoke detector. He batted it all away as quickly as he could, and then sighed in relief. Gemini cackled.

_Just proves my point... If you wanna be free is bad, why don't you find him and get lessons from him or something? He seems to have his abilities down pat._

Link seriously considered the option, but then he realized this could have been just another one of Gemini's devious plots and would just come out and try to kill the guy. He shook the idea out of his head and stormed into his bedroom. Ignoring the grumbling in his stomach, Link threw himself onto his bed and lied there, staring at the ceiling while Gemini's words kept ringing in his head. He quickly grew overwhelmed and became vulnerable to Gemini's control. With Link's body completely submitted, Gemini breezed through the window in a cloud of smoke.


	10. A Clue

Rhett had fallen asleep while Abbie was washing up from their dinner. His bed was too cozy to not take a break from his overwhelming thoughts. However, his moment of bliss was cut short at the sound of a door being whipped open.

 "Gemini's been spotted! You gotta get up!" Abbie yelped. Rhett peeked at his phone and winced.

"It's 8:30! What on Earth is he doing causing trouble this late?!" Rhett grumbled.

"I don't know, but you need to move quick!" Luckily, his body suit was already on. All he needed to do was put his helmet on and then he was off, forgetting to ask where he was spotted. That didn't seem to be necessary in this case, as Gemini happened to show up right outside of his apartment building. He couldn't be missed even if Rhett tried to, as his face appeared in a large, dark maelstrom of a cloud. Bigger and scarier than ever seen before. Rhett staggered at the terrifying sight. Those big, glowing, blue eyes darted around as thick jets of smoke were blown all around from his mouth. They were so strong they dented the metal of the building's support system. The few people outside were asphyxiated from the bursts, and their cigarettes fell to burning ashes on the ground.

"Hey, you!" Rhett barked. His booming voice could likely have been heard from the far ends of the city, if not further. The Gemini cloud turned its attention to the source of the extraordinary voice. "You come to pick a fight?! Well, you're messing with the wrong guy!" Rhett couldn't help but smile at the words he never would have expected to come out of his mouth. The cloud of smoke gasped.

"Well, well, it seems I've found your hideout, Roadie the pink menace!" Gemini retorted. The echo in his voice gave Rhett chills down his spine.

"That's Libra to you!" Rhett corrected angrily. "Rhodolite Libra! And who's to say it's not _you_  who lives here?!"

"Oh please," Gemini scoffed. "Why should I even bother wasting my energy on the likes of you?"

With that, Gemini blew a dark gust of smoke directly at Rhett. Rhett leapt out of the way in the blink of an eye. He started to panic, realizing he can't fight a cloud of smoke. Unfortunately, Gemini seemed to take notice.

"Uh oh," Gemini exclaimed in a sing-song voice. "Can't punch smoke, now can you?! Such a great superhero you can't solve your problems without using your damn fists like a neanderthal!"

He was right. He couldn't use his combat lessons to fix this problem. But it was a good thing his strength wasn't limited to his arms. Rhett stood his ground, making sure his balance was set before taking a giant of a deep breath, filling his lungs with air like balloons. They kept expanding and expanding until he felt what he believed to be his limit. With tornado-like force, Rhett blew his air right back at that face in the clouds.

For a split second, he saw Gemini's eyes grow wide before the cloud of smoke dispersed into small clusters and floated to the ground. Each cluster formed into a clone of Gemini and surrounded the area. All clones spoke together as one.

"You think you can beat me that easily?!" they all snapped. They didn't hesitate to run straight for Rhett.

Now he could work physically.

Rhett spun, kicked and swatted at every clone who came near him. Each clone poofed into the atmosphere with every hit. Abbie had luckily come out just in time, and began filming the whole thing from her phone. She was quite impressed at how well Rhett could handle fighting against numbers. She knew she would have to bring that up with Dennis next time they met.

Eventually, Rhett was left with what seemed like none left. He looked all around him, making sure none were hiding nearby to jump him. However, Abbie noticed Gemini - the true Gemini - materializing directly behind Rhett.

"Behind you!" she shouted, just in time for Rhett to react. He ducked and spun around, trip-kicking Gemini into falling, just like what he had done to Dennis earlier. Instead of uppercutting him in the ribs, however, Rhett yanked on Gemini's arm to flip him over on the sidewalk. He then pulled both of Gemini's arms back and pinned him down flat.

"You need to stop terrorizing these people!" Rhett growled. "You keep this up and you're gonna spend some time behind bars! Maybe even worse!"

"And what will the public think about possessors if that happens?" Gemini sneered behind a crooked smirk.

Rhett's words got caught in his throat. "W-well my actions will show them the good that abilities and people who have them can offer to the community. And like non-possessors, those who use their abilities for bad things will be punished for them."

Gemini scoffed into a sinister laugh as his body dematerialized and faded away. Rhett pounded his fist into the sidewalk, leaving a massive rippling crack. He mentally kicked himself for falling for Gemini's distraction instead of just arresting him when he had the chance. Luckily, Gemini's spine-tingling laugh still sounded like a distant echo as it seemed to float around him.

"I got the whole thing on camera, Rhett!" Abbie squeaked, rushing to Rhett before noticing Gemini was no longer subdued. "Wha-"

"Shhhhh! Quiet!" Rhett snapped, immediately hushing his friend so he could listen to where the disembodied laugh was moving to. It sounded like it was heading further down the street. He quickly snatched Abbie's phone from her hand and hurried after the voice.

After a block and a half, a dark plume of smoke condensed itself and continued moving it's way to a particular destination. Soon enough, it zigzagged it's way into an open window of another apartment building. Rhett immediately got the camera app open on Abbie's phone and snapped a picture of the window and the name of the building. There was no way he would be allowed to enter that building without being buzzed in or invited. He would get his chance someday, but for now he did all he could. He sped on back to his apartment to turn in for the day, and of course to return Abbie's phone.


	11. Calling All Units

It was about ten in the morning. Rhett could do anything but sleep that night. Just the thought of Gemini hiding not far from him simply terrified him too much. He knew security in that building wouldn't let him go in and pry on its tenants, whether he was working with the police or not. He'd have to have someone who lives there buzz him in. Luckily, Rhett wasn't alone all night. Abbie stayed up with him, countlessly rewatching the video she shot and studying the images on her phone that Rhett took of the apartment complex Gemini flew into.

 "You don't by chance happen to know anyone who lives in that building, do you?" Rhett asked. Abbie pursed her lips and shook her head.

"I don't," she said. "But I can ask the guys at the station."

There was a muffled, static voice heard from under a couch pillow. Abbie glared at it before pushing it out of the way to grab her police radio.

"Repeat! Gemini activity on the corner of 7th and San Pedro in Downtown Los Angeles! All emergency vehicles needed on site!"

"Holy crap..." Abbie gasped.

"What?" Rhett asked. "What is it?"

"I think he caused a fire," Abbie explained, grabbing the rest of her uniform and starting for the apartment door. "Let's go! We better hurry!" The two of them scurried to the cruiser as Abbie barely finished putting her uniform completely on. Rhett looked around, trying to listen for anything and see any clouds of smoke. Not seeing anything, he turned back to Abbie.

"Which direction is downtown?" he asked hurriedly.

"Southeast. Why?" Without an answer, Rhett grabbed her tightly by the waist and pressed her against his side. He quickly determined which way was Southeast due to the sun's position in the sky and squatted down.

"Hold on, and try not to scream!" he warned before lifting off, bounding high and far across the neighborhood. Caught off-guard, Abbie yelped at their sudden height off the ground. She covered her eyes, as that very ground started rushing back up to their level, but Rhett jumped again at the perfect time, lifting them even higher and farther than before. Her stomach felt like it was in her throat, but the more they were in the air and the more she trusted Rhett with his ability, the more she felt like this was a really neat dream. She could imagine how Rhett must've felt the first time he tried this.

Sooner than they could've ever gotten to the scene by car, they arrived. But not soon enough, as the last trace of Gemini's smoke fled in a plume of blue, just like the previous night. There was fire all over the plaza, and the florist shop seemed to have been hit the hardest, as it looked like it had exploded. Bits of the roof were scattered throughout the place, and the glass windows had shattered over other pieces of debris. Many people were injured and trapped under them, and thankfully some of the emergency vehicles had just arrived to help.

Rhett put Abbie down to let her do her job, while he sprang into action, helping the first responders lift piles of bricks and signs off of people to get them out of the fire. Soon the entire plaza was showered, and the fire was quickly extinguished. There were still plenty of civilians who needed help. Many of them had to be hospitalized, so it was a good thing they called in all units. When finished, Rhett met back up with Abbie, who was speaking to one of her cops, presumably the one who made the call for the others.

"I don't know," Rhett heard the cop say. "I just think if that superhero guy you got never showed up, things with Gemini wouldn't have escalated to quickly... I mean, he freaking caused a _fire_!! He never did something like that before! This many people have never been hurt before! Heck, some of these people have _died_ , Carreira! _died_!"

"That's enough, Lieutenant. I understand your concern, but let me assure you that our recruit has nothing to do with this new behavior," Abbie replied sternly. She kept her gaze directly into the cop's upset eyes. Rhett felt like he shrank at that moment, wondering if what the lieutenant said was true. He suddenly had a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Abbie there consoling him.

"It _is_  me, isn't it?" Rhett muttered as Abbie escorted him to the sidewalk. "I made Gemini act like this..."

"No you did not," Abbie replied, fully confident in her old friend. "What triggered this event could have been a number of different things. Things you had no control over. Things _no one_ could have had control over. Do not let what Lieutenant Barnes said get to you. Everything will be fine. Trust me."

As if on cue, Rhett's phone buzzed from inside his helmet. He turned the back panel off and took out the phone that sat there. He had gotten another text from Link. He wanted to do lunch. Abbie took notice of the text and cocked a curious eyebrow at Rhett.

"It's not the first time this guy's asked you out right after an attack," she commented.

"Aw, that's just a coincidence," Rhett said. "He typically gets out of work around this time." He subconsciously scrolled through his and Link's texts and realized every time Link texted him it was a different time. He shoved the phone in his pocket and smiled at Abbie.

"Promise me you'll be careful?" Abbie sighed.

"I will. No worries."


	12. A Truth Behind Link

Rhett sauntered into the pizzeria like he owned the place, looking for his date at their table. He soon found him sitting proudly at a corner table with a couple glasses on it. Rhett was glad to see him not covered in rubble like last time. Link actually looked like he put quite a bit of effort into his appearance. His hair was shiny, fluffy, and perfectly swept over the frame of his glasses. His bright blue eyes glimmered at the sight of Rhett's arrival.

 "H-hey, Rhett!" he chirped. "I ordered a drink for you so you didn't have to sit thirsty while waiting for the pizza. It's Pepsi cola, if that's all right." Rhett peered into the bubbly glass before him.

"Did you put something it?" Rhett asked, now peering at Link suspiciously. Link's eyes and mouth flew open.

"What?! I - no! I would ne -"

"I'm just messing with ya, don't worry," Rhett laughed before taking a sip. The cold carbonation of the soda tingled his taste buds. "So how's work been going?" Rhett asked. Abbie's words from earlier came to mind, so he wanted to be a bit more cautious for now.

Link sighed, "I missed you a whole lot... otherwise it's been... same ole same ole." Rhett blushed at the flirt. "What about you?" The question caught Rhett slightly off-guard, but he was quick to answer.

"I've been looking for a new job in town, closer to where I'm living. Not much luck so far." Link swirled his glass, spinning the straw around the brim.

"You should come work with me at the engineering firm. Then you can see me more often!" Link squeaked.

"Well, as it turns out, I do have an engineering degree!" Rhett replied, raising both eyebrows. He nodded to himself, believing it might be a good idea to have a backup cover job while he's still in L.A.

Suddenly, one of the televisions in the restaurant caught Rhett's attention. The news was covering Gemini's latest attack, and showed footage of the aftermath. That horrifying aftermath. He looked back to Link, who watched him like a confused puppy.

"That fire today..." Rhett sighed. Link frowned. "I can't believe someone would do that to all those innocent people. What could Gemini possibly gain from that?" Link's lip quivered and crinkled.

"He's... a monster," Link grumbled softly. "That's what monsters do." His gaze met Rhett's again, but with a slight glimmer. "But I feel like there's something... more. Something others can't understand about him..."

Rhett leaned forward. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Maybe if people weren't afraid of people who are different... things would be different... Maybe he wouldn't be the monster he is."

There was something about the soft, gentle way Rhett was looking at him that gave Link the urge to do something he never expected to ever do. He tried to suppress it as much as he could, but the urge was fighting strong, and the silence just could not last a moment longer.

"Come over my place," he blurted. "I... I want to tell you something... but I can't do it here." Link paid for their meal, and promised to pick up the pizza later. He then led Rhett out the door and walked him to his apartment building. To Rhett's surprise, it happened to be the same building Gemini escaped to last night. He quickly pinpointed that very window he had slithered his way into. He started counting the floors when Link pulled him inside the building.

It wasn't long before they reached Link's apartment. Rhett was glad to notice that Link did not lock the door back up after they entered. Any worry in the back of Rhett's mind sank away. Him being in Link's apartment caused him no alarm. It seemed like a decent little abode. It wasn't as nice as Abbie's, but for someone who didn't make nearly as much money as a chief of police, the place seemed fine to live in. Maybe a few too many cereal boxes were left out on the counter, but he knew how much Link loved his cereal so he let it slide.

"So what is it you wanted to tell me... now that we're alone?" Rhett asked, done looking around and returning his attention to the man beside him. Link led him to the couch and had him sit next to him. For a while there was nothing but silence. Rhett kept his curious, hopeful gaze fixed on Link's face. There was clearly an inner struggle going on in the man's mind, and Rhett was good at keeping patient. Eventually, Link sighed and looked back up at Rhett with bright red cheeks.

"I... I'm a possessor," Link admitted softly. Rhett tried not to react right away. He surely was ecstatic that Link felt that he could trust him with that knowledge, but due to Abbie's suspicion, he couldn't help but feel a twisting sensation in his stomach. "Let... let me show you. Hold on."

Link quickly shuffled off the couch and grabbed one of his candles from the dining table. He placed it on the coffee table in front of them and sat back down. He focused really hard, pointed at the wick on the candle, and breathed easy. Like that, the wick was lit, and a tiny string of smoke waved its way toward the ceiling. Link took his hand and pinched the end of the smoky stream, letting the rest of it dangle from his fingers like a ribbon underwater. With a snap, the smoke went away and he candle was blown out. He smiled brightly at his achievement, as he got it right on the first try in front of Rhett. He looked at him for validation, or at least some kind of comment. Rhett was rendered speechless.

"I... I know it's not much of an ability, but... you know, it's mine. I was... I was just afraid to tell you because of - of what the public thinks about possessors and abilities, and anything having to do with... people like me. I thought you would've... I was afraid that you would've rejected me."

"Are you kidding?!" Rhett finally spoke. "You know how many people - especially kids in the world wish they could do what you just did?! You got _lucky_ , man! You got one of the _cool_  abilities!" He leaned in closer to Link and held his shoulders. "And I am so _proud_ of you! So grateful that you decided to share your gift with me! It is amazing to be dating a possessor, and I'm glad that it's you, Link."

Struck with tears, Link leapt at Rhett and embraced him tightly. He hadn't been so happy, so full of positivity and emotion in so long he couldn't even remember. He brought things further and kissed Rhett hard on the lips. The second he realized what he had done, he backed away. His face blossomed into an even deeper shade of red than before. Rhett smiled and pulled him back in for more, overwhelming Link with pure bliss and relief. Eventually their need to breathe overcame their need to keep their lips locked, so they separated.

"Wh... what else can you do?" Rhett panted. His smile was stitched onto his glowing face.

"Well, uh... That's about it right now. I'm still working on mastering my ability," Link muttered. "Honestly, I'm... afraid... of going bigger with it." Link realized what he just said. Gemini was right. He really was still afraid of his ability. He suddenly worried that he might never overcome it. He quickly shook his head back into the moment and tried to cover himself up with a clarification. "You know. Don't wanna accidentally blow the place up or set off any alarms, right?" he said with a chuckle. "Anyway... uh, you should go."

Rhett blinked rapidly. "What? Why so soon?" he asked.

"I... I just remembered I had an appointment today, so you should go home and I need to -"

"I could go with you!" Rhett chimed, happy to tag along.

"No, no, no... It's gonna take forever! You would be bored to death... I'm-I'm serious. Just go home. Please." He saw Rhett's face start to drop. "But I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Rhett looked back up at him and his smile came back softly.

"You promise?"

"Of course!"

Rhett's gaze grew a bit steely. "Same time as today?" he asked, recalling the text receipts he saw that morning. Link hesitated.

"I'll try," he breathed. Rhett kissed his cheek before getting up to leave. Link followed him, properly escorting Rhett out of the building. He left him with another hug. His larger frame gave him the sweetest dose of warmth, and he wished he didn't have to let go, but the twisted feeling inside him was growing impatient. The second they parted ways, Link ran right back to his apartment and locked himself in as fast as he could.


	13. The Deal

Rhett moved fast, easily kicking his leg up high. His opponent ducked underneath it almost effortlessly, and countered with a leg lock, hooking the back of Rhett's balancing leg with his foot. Rhett was tried to wiggle and dance his way out but he tripped completely, and jumped back into what should have been a back flip. However, he overshot the curve of his back and ended up rolling backwards and falling over, with his opponent still hooked on his leg.

 Dennis laughed as he tried untangling himself from the pile of limbs Rhett fumbled themselves into. He reached out a hand to help Rhett stand up as well.

"That was great!" Dennis cheered. "We'll work on escaping the leg lock next time you come in, but wow! Your reaction time is staggering!"

"I'll say," chimed Abbie as she walked towards the two of them. "You weren't doing moves like that two days ago, I'll give you that," she added, cocking an eyebrow at Rhett. "I've never seen anyone learn so quickly. What did you say your ability was?" She smirked.

"Maybe that's an extension of my gem," Rhett concluded, pointing out the item embedded into his suit's collar. It glowed under its protective barrier. "Since it enhances all my physical abilities, it must make my muscle memory better as well!"

"Just promise me you won't go using 'weird' physical abilities on Gemini. I don't want to find out on the news that you bit him to death," Abbie warned.

"Right," Rhett chuckled. He thanked Dennis for another great lesson, and then left with Abbie to her cruiser.

"So how did your date go?" Abbie asked as she and Rhett buckled themselves in. "I was surprised you told me you were at the gym. Did something happen?"

"Nothing went wrong, no," he explained. "He just had somewhere to be. We'll pick things up where we left off tomorrow."

"You sure he wasn't just saying that?"

"I'm positive," Rhett said with full confidence. "He shared something personal with me today. If he didn't want us to continue dating he wouldn't have told me."

"And what is it that he told you?"

"He's a possessor! Just like me!" he squeaked. "He didn't tell me earlier because he was afraid of what I'd think about that."

Abbie was stunned. "What can he do? Did he show you?" she asked eagerly.

"Yeah! He can light candles and manipulate their smoke like Silly Putty! It was so cool! He said he wanted to try to do more, but was afraid to for safety reasons."

Abbie squinted her eyes a bit. "I don't know... That sounds really suspicious to me." Rhett's smile immediately dropped as he gaped at his friend. The car stopped and they arrived back at the apartment. "He could very likely be the one behind Gemini's mask. So far, a lot of the evidence points to him."

"Oh, come on! Link's a sweet, gentle type of guy. He wouldn't even hurt a fly! I don't think he would ever even want to!" Abbie held her breath as she unlocked and opened the door to their suite. Once they both entered, she carefully and silently shut the door and locked it back up.

"I would say... you might be too blinded by your feelings to see where the evidence is pointing!" she snapped, suddenly taking this conversation to a higher level. Rhett's jaw dropped. He was rendered speechless. "His interactions with you have been consistently after Gemini attacks! He controls smoke, for Pete's sake! You've seen it yourself! He's lying to you and is taking advantage of your feelings! If you don't do something he'll -"

"He would never!" Rhett growled, unintentionally using his super yell. Abbie clutched her ears as they rang painfully. He took a breath and calmed his voice down a bit. "If he was Gemini, why would he show me his ability, or even tell me he has one to begin with?! Whoever he is, he's too smart to give a hint like that!"

"Or maybe it's just to throw off suspicion by playing it off like he doesn't know how to use it!"

"Then how about this - I invite him over so you can see it for yourself! That he's not faking it! And then you can see him for who he really is, and not what you're accusing him of being!" Rhett kept a steely gaze on her, not letting it falter with even a blink. Abbie's demeanor calmed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Under certain terms," she purred. "It must be a predetermined time set by you, not him. If Gemini makes a move right before or right after, then it's definitely him. One hundred percent. You could also spend the whole day with him if you want to try your chances. If there is no sign of Gemini while you two are together, that's also a definitive that Link is Gemini."

Rhett gulped. His stomach knotted up. "Done," he replied. The two of them shook hands to seal the deal. His throat felt like it was closing on him, but he gulped and forced more words out anyway. He felt it was appropriate to add more to this plan. "If... you're right... and he really is Gemini... I'll take care of the arrest. All by myself."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Abbie asked with raised eyebrows.

"I wouldn't be able to watch someone else cuff him up or... anything like that. I think it would be better for everyone if I performed the arrest." He felt sick, and suddenly every move he made felt excruciatingly heavy as he moped his way into his bedroom. He plopped onto his bed and took his phone out. His thumb hovered over the screen, but he didn't have it in him to touch it just yet. He placed the phone on the nightstand instead, deciding to sleep on it and send the invite text to Link in the morning.


	14. It Started With Breakfast

Rhett couldn't sleep that night. His mind ran rampant with thoughts of Link and Gemini. Link's timing was awfully peculiar, but Rhett hoped with all his might that these were just coincidences and that the clues he and Abbie found were not correlated with Link and his schedule. The main thing that threw a rock in that idea was the lack of a motive. Rhett just couldn't see why Link would do the things Gemini did. His personality was completely opposite from that terrorizing maniac. If only Abbie could see that and get off his back about it. Then again, that was the main reason why he knew he absolutely had to invite Link over - so she could finally see the man for herself and determine whether he could be capable of such a high degree of damage.

 Rhett closed his eyes for probably the hundredth time, wishing he could get at least a wink of sleep. His phone rang and filled him with dread. He slapped his hand atop the phone and took a look at the screen. His body twisted and zinged at his boyfriend's name on the screen. He took a breath and held it for a moment.

"Hello...?" Rhett barely spoke.

"Rhett? It's me, Link!"

"Hi, Link. What's up?" He smiled at how excited Link sounded over the phone.

"Wanna do breakfast today? I'm out of cereal for the first time in like, ever... and I didn't really feel like cooking." Rhett saw this as the perfect opportunity to follow the plan he and Abbie decided. He took a big breath and went for it.

"How 'bout you come over here then? I can whip you up something."

"Ooh! That sounds really nice, Rhett!" Link cooed. "I'll be over in a jiffy. You were over by the park, right?"

"Yeah," Rhett said, recalling the night they first met. "I'll wait for you out front."

"On my way!" Link squeaked before hanging up. Rhett chuckled to himself. Link sounded more excited than Rhett had ever seen of him. He was excited to see him again... and also so very nervous.

Rhett quickly got ready and exited his room. Abbie had just gotten out of the shower and was on her way back to her room to get dressed. She stopped dead in her tracks with her robe on and a towel wrapped around her hair like a turban. She stared at Rhett expectantly.

"Link's coming over for breakfast," Rhett finally spoke. "He'll be here any minute."

"Alright. I'll be quick," she said, powerwalking into her room and shutting the door behind her. Rhett hurried downstairs and stood outside to wait. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait too long, and Link trotted over to him the second he was spotted. Rhett was stunned to see how nicely Link dressed up for a breakfast date. He hoped that would help him gain points with Abbie.

"You look incredible!" Rhett said.

"Thanks!" Link blushed. Rhett's sparkling eyes were glued to him in his nice violet button-down. It was definitely his color. He cleared his throat when he realized he was ogling.

"Hey, uh... I should let you know," he started, "my roommate will be joining us, since this was so short-notice. I hope -"

"Nah, that's fine," Link replied, waving the air in a gesture. "As long as I get to see you." Rhett blushed at Link's sweet words. He took Link's hand and led him up to the apartment. Fortunately for Rhett, Abbie did not yet finish getting ready.

"Apple pancakes?" Rhett asked, smiling so big his cheeks bunched up. Link's mouth watered as he nodded vigorously in reply. He helped Rhett gather the ingredients they needed, and the two of them had a blast mixing everything together. Link even added extra cinnamon sugar to the mix for extra flavor. Then, while Rhett started cooking the bacon and pancakes, Link took the liberty of cleaning up the mess and setting the table. The tasks were soothing to Link, and they helped him feel more confident and in-control. He was so glad things were going well so far, and he hoped he could keep it together for at least the morning.

Abbie finally emerged when Link got the napkins set out. She gaped at him from a single glance all the way across the room. Rhett lowered the heat on the stove and walked in between the others.

"Abbie, this... this is Link," he said after clearing his throat. "And Link, this is my friend, Abbie." He took both of their hands and met them together. Link happily shook her hand.

"Glad to meet you, Abbie!" Link chimed. He pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, as the handshake jostled them a bit. He didn't let his smile falter for even a second, and it seemed to impress Abbie a little bit.

"Rhett's told me much about you," Abbie added. She did not smile even the slightest, though her eyes read calm. Rhett was thankful for that in the least. So far, things were going better than expected. However, the silence that was growing between the three of them was becoming more and more awkward by the second. It was starting to drive Rhett mad.

"So... uh... the pancakes are almost done!" he announced. "I just need the plates on the counter for serving. The table ready yet?" Link scurried back to the table and grabbed the pile of silverware he took out earlier.

"Just a sec," he chimed, placing all the forks and knives at everyone's spot. Abbie walked over to the fridge and took out some milk. Link nodded excitedly at the gallon jug as she began pouring it in everyone's glasses. "Okay... I... think that's everything."

"Should I take out syrup?" Abbie asked, looking over at Rhett, who had just placed the last pancake on one of the plates.

"They're apple cinnamon, but take out whatever you want," Rhett replied, carrying two of the plates over. He put one at Link's spot and the other at Abbie's, and then went back to claim his plate. Abbie shrugged and just sat down, deciding to try this new breakfast concoction before adding something else to it. Link pulled Rhett's chair out and let Rhett sit in it before sitting down himself. Rhett's mouth fell softly open at the gesture. He was so impressed at how much of a gentleman Link was today. He couldn't tell, however, if Abbie felt the same way. She seemed to be watching Link like a hawk.

"So, Link..." Abbie began, breaking the ambient silence of eating, "How long have you been here in L.A.?" Rhett turned to read Link's reaction. Thankfully, he didn't seem very fazed.

"About a month? Two months? I don't really remember," he answered after wiping some cinnamon sugar from his lips.

"Where did you come from then?" Abbie asked, not missing a beat. She sipped from her glass while waiting for Link's answer. He seemed a bit more hesitant about responding to this question.

"I... um..."

"You're interrogating him!" Rhett gritted quietly to Abbie. He began to raise his voice ever so slightly. "He doesn't like talking about his hometown..."

"You know..." Link hummed, "I... think I'm feeling okay about it lately, I guess." Rhett raised his eyebrows. "So... I, uh, spent my entire childhood in North Carolina, believe it or not."

"Thought that accent sounded familiar," Abbie smirked. Her eyes shot over to Rhett, who seemed a lot more surprised than she was.

"Wait... what?!" Rhett asked. "Where?! What part?! You know I'm from there too, right? You never told me!"

"Ah, it's just a small town. You've probably never heard of it," Link replied. "Besides, there's... uh... nothing but bad memories left for me there anyways."

"I'm from a town like that too!" Rhett squeaked. "Buies Creek! You ever hear of it?"

Link froze. His fork twitched in his hand.

"N...nope." He took his bite of pancake and hummed. "Man, these are delicious!" He kept his focus on his food for a while. Both Rhett and Abbie watched. Rhett was full of awe, while Abbie was still determined to dig some more scoop from their guest. She spotted the unlit candle on the table and got an idea.

"Oh no," she started. She popped the lid off the scented candle and peered into it with a pout. "We forgot to light the candle. The autumn leaves smell would've perfectly complimented the pancakes."

"It's not too late, Abbie, I-" Abbie ignored Rhett's words and looked straight at Link.

"You know, Rhett told me you have quite an ability, Link." Rhett shot a glare at her, aghast. "I would love to see one of your tricks... Do you mind lighting the candle for us?"

Link took a gulp from his milk. Rhett's mouth opened, about to interject, but Link put on his proudest smile.

"I would love to."

Abbie placed the candle back down on the table and waited. Her expression was unchanged like a statue.

Rhett watched Link intently as his heart pounded. He held his breath.

Link squinted at the candle, focusing as much as he could on the very end of the wick. He inhaled through his nose as he pursed his lips tightly. He snapped his fingers, and in a light poof the wick began to smoke. The more he focused on the wick, the hotter it got before it finally sparked into a flame. It was then Link let his breath trickle back out. He smiled warmly at his trick, and how careful he was in performing it. He felt great.

Rhett finally released his breath too, and he cupped Link's shoulder with his hand. He shook him with a wide smile.

"That was great, Link! You're getting so good at this!" Rhett squeaked. Link looked back at him and his smile grew bigger. He was like a child who got his first A on a test, and Rhett was not hesitating to put that accomplishment on the fridge for everyone to see.

Abbie seemed satisfied with Link's effort, but she wasn't done testing him just yet. She smirked as she took another bite of her pancakes.

"Surely," she said, pausing to swallow and pick up a piece of bacon, "Rhett's told you about _his_ ability... yes?" She snapped a bite off the strip, keeping her eyes on the two boys. Rhett's stomach dropped and twisted in a knot. He suddenly felt like he didn't know how to move or control his body.

"What?" Link asked, turning to face the man beside him. "You're a possessor... too...? And you didn't tell me?" Rhett was too choked up to answer. "Even after I confided in you about _my_  abilities? Why didn't you tell me? You... hiding something?"

"Y... You're gonna laugh..." Rhett strained. "I... I was gonna show you by surprise!" Link scrunched his eyebrows, not quite understanding. "I was - I was gonna race you at the... at the park today... and sprint ahead of you! Leaving you eating my dust! Because... I can run really fast!"

"Like... _inhumanly_  fast? Like that Flash guy in the comics?" Link asked.

"Exactly! But I wanted to surprise you! It would've been fun that way."

Link smiled. "You can still race me," he challenged. "How fast can you be?" Rhett chuckled and gave him a playful shove.

"You're on, Neal!" Rhett shouted. Link was shoved a little too hard, and nearly fell out of his seat. He caught himself with his hand on his plate full of syrup and cinnamon sugar. "Oh, gosh... I'm sorry, Link. Are you okay?"

"Yeah... yeah. I just gotta clean myself up." Link turned back to Abbie, who was glad nothing broke. "Excuse me." He carefully got up and found his way to the restroom. Rhett gently wiped up any syrup that splattered on the table. Once the restroom door shut, he turned his attention on his roommate.

"Do you still think he could be Gemini?" He whispered.

"Still too early to tell," she replied softly. Part of the way she spoke gave Rhett a feeling that she knew more than she let on. "He did seem to be really trying hard with that parlor trick, but I don't know how long he's been working on that ability. If it's only been a month or two, it makes sense, but if he's had it longer he's focusing that hard for a different reason." She downed the last bit of her milk in a heartbeat. "Ask me again at the end of the day, when your date is over."

Rhett's jaw dropped. "All day?! You can't make him stay here all day!"

"You don't have to," she replied. "Just keep him busy. Gemini could show up any minute, and if it's him you'll know for sure."

Link finished drying his hands and was glad to feel them not sticky anymore. He looked up from the sink to the mirror, but paused before setting his eyes on his reflection. He felt a slight stir inside him, and he took a series of deep, heavy breaths to keep himself calm and collected. Soon enough, the stirring subsided, and Link felt good again. He was glad to see his own, real face in the mirror instead of any trace of Gemini's. With a smile, he headed back out to rejoin Rhett and Abbie.


	15. A Walk in the Park

Link returned from cleaning up, and found Rhett putting plates in the sink. Abbie had already started washing the dishes.

 "You guys, uh, need any help?" Link asked, looking around for something to do. Rhett rushed over to him with empty hands.

"Actually," Rhett began, taking a breath to help soothe his jittering nerves, "I was hoping you'd like to go out somewhere. Maybe see a movie... go to the aquarium... or something like that." Link smiled and listened. "I-I know you have work and stuff like that to deal with, and your weird schedule and what not... It's perfectly understandable if you can't, so -"

"Acually, Rhett," Link interrupted, "I'm off-work today." His smile didn't falter even a smidge. Link's sudden boost of confidence was radiating off of him so strongly it made Rhett weak. He blushed so hard after droning on and on, but at the same time he kind of hoped Link would be too busy to keep the plan moving. "What do you feel like doing today?" Link asked, pulling Rhett back into the moment.

"I... Let's walk around town for a bit. See if there's something still open around here that we've never been to." Rhett paused to turn to Abbie at the sink. "Will you be okay by yourself?" he asked, mostly about the dishes. He knew she was fine in the apartment by herself.

"I got everything under control here. You boys have fun," she replied, not turning away from what she was doing. Rhett let out a hand to Link, who took it graciously and followed Rhett outside.

Not long after walking down the street, they encountered buildings and entire plazas that were taped off, fenced, and marked as restricted while undergoing reconstruction. Rhett glanced over at Link frequently, but was upset to see Link so forlorn. The man even seemed to be avoiding to look at the damage Gemini had caused.

"Are you okay, Link?" Rhett asked softly. Link sighed and looked into the plaza nearby.

"A lot of my favorite places were hit by Gemini... I just really hope the damage didn't put these places out of business for good. Some of these owners are really nice and can't afford to pay for this kind of damage. Even that coffee shop we first met up at... That place is now a pile of rubble." He paused and held Rhett's hand tighter. "I really hope they're all doing okay."

Rhett saw the pain in those big, blue eyes. He could tell Link's feelings were genuine. He couldn't see how this man could be Gemini, hurting so many people, destroying so many local businesses, and causing so much terror to the public. He wished Abbie could see that in him. Link just had too much empathy to be capable of acting so violently.

"I hope so too," Rhett finally answered, squeezing Link's hand in return. "In fact, I'm sure everything will be back to normal soon."

"You really think so?" Link asked, looking up into the depths of Rhett's green eyes. Rhett pulled himself closer to him as they continued walking.

They soon came across a fenced in reservoir. The lake was round and clean, and the grass surrounding it was lush and green as could be. A sidewalk circled the water, and a couple people were seen jogging or walking their dogs on it. Some blossomed trees helped wall in the area, and their petals added the perfect amount of color to make the place seem like it came out of a dream. Rhett led Link over and sat them both on a bench lining the sidewalk.

"I just wish Gemini was gone," Link said with a sigh. He leaned into Rhett as he took in the breathtaking scenery. The floral air helped soothe Link. Rhett petting his hair helped too.

"Well," Rhett began, "there is that... pink guy, right?" He cringed internally that he had to call his own altar ego by a color, but he had to make do. "I think he can take care of Gemini. He seems to know what he's doing."

"Yeah, he does," Link agreed. "He seemed really strong..." He subconsciously rubbed the side of his face, where Gemini had been uppercutted in the past. "Do you think being strong will be enough, though?"

Rhett hesitated for a moment. "I think... he's more than just strong. I -"

"That's not exactly what I mean," Link interrupted, putting a hand on Rhett's knee. "Like... even if he was able to put Gemini behind bars... he'll still... _be_  there. He'll still be around. He might not even be able to be contained. Who knows what could happen?!" Rhett could feel him shaking, and wrapped him up tight in his arms.

"I know how much Gemini has hurt you," Rhett started, keeping his voice soft. "No matter what happens, I will always be here for you. When you're feeling down, I will lift you up. This morning was the happiest, and most confident I've ever seen you... and I never want to see that smile go away. You deserve all the happiness in the world, and if Gemini's keeping you from that happiness in any way, I will be there to make it better."

Link looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks, Rhett." He leaned up and kissed him. He wished he could stay in his arms on that bench forever. He felt so safe and cozy.

Past Rhett's shoulder, some fluttering caught Link's attention. He snickered and smirked.

"Hey, wanna scare that flock of pigeons over there?" Rhett peeked over his shoulder and saw the crowd of pigeons pecking at a spilled bag of popcorn.

"Why?" Rhett asked with a chuckle.

"Trust me, it'll make us feel better." Link got up and took Rhett's hand to lead him up to his feet. He quietly counted down from three, and then the two of them charged hand-in-hand at the unsuspecting birds. In a loud chorus of coos, they all flew up and around them. A rainbow of feathers surrounded them, and it was both hilarious and exhilarating. Rhett found himself laughing out loud as the birds dispersed, and then landed at a spot nearby. Rhett led Link to the next gathering spot and scared the pigeons off again. Neither of them could remember he last time they had so much fun, and judging by the way they kept looking at each other with ear-to-ear grins they were glad they were experiencing it together.

It was then Rhett heard what sounded somewhat like a music box jingling the tune of "The Entertainer" from across the reservoir. They both looked over and saw a line forming at a little white cart with a large rainbow umbrella.

"Let's get some ice cream!" Rhett squeaked. The two of them scurried around the reservoir to claim a spot in line before it got too long. Soon enough, they both carried two-scoop cones back to their bench. Rhett eyed the cone Link picked. "How's your cookie dough?" He asked, taking a bite out of his own treat.

"It has so much cookie dough I don't know if there's any ice cream here," Link teased. "It's perfect." Link licked along the side of the scoops, trying to not let any ice cream drip down the cone. "How's your ice cream?"

"Butterscotch-y," Rhett said, taking a huge bite and finishing his top scoop.

"Goodness gracious, man. You're like a shark." Rhett snapped at him playfully, biting the air like a shark. Link giggled. "What else did you wanna do today?" For the first time in a while, Rhett remembered why he was out here with Link. This wasn't just for fun; there was something more important at stake. He looked around, wondering if Abbie was nearby, watching them. He figured he was just being paranoid, as there was no sight of her anywhere. He sighed quietly to himself in relief.

"We could... see a movie," Rhett suggested. "Walk the park..."

"We could _run_  the park," Link said.

"What?"

"I wanna see you run, man!" Link smiled as he shoved Rhett playfully. "I wanna see how fast you can be... if you can really make me eat your dust."

Rhett cocked an eyebrow at him. "Oh, you want a challenge, huh? No one on Earth can surpass my speed."

"Not even a bus?"

Rhett snorted. "Is it an L.A. bus? I don't think those things can go faster than five miles per hour. A baby could crawl faster than those jokes of public transportation."

"Fast baby."

"You really wanna run with me?"

"Yeah, I think it would be fun," Link replied with a smile. They finished what was left of their cones and headed out.

After a couple minutes of walking, they arrived to the park near Rhett and Abbie's apartment complex. Luckily, it didn't seem very populated at the moment. If there was any time and place to show off abilities, it was this one.

The two men shuffled over beside a light post. The sun was at its peak brightness that early evening, shining like a giant spotlight seemingly over Rhett and Link. They lined up on the trail and looked further down.

"That trash can down there can be the finish line," said Link. "Last one to get there buys dinner."

"Why don't you just pay up now?" Rhett scoffed, cracking his knuckles.

"I'm calling you out on your bluff!" Link giggled.

"You don't believe that I'm a possessor?" Rhett squeaked, frowning at his boyfriend.

"No, I believe you," Link assured, "but I don't think you're really as fast as you say you are. If you barely surpass Usain Bolt, I'd believe it, but I don't think you're bullet fast."

Rhett laughed sinisterly under his breath as they readied themselves. Link gawked at him.

"Ready? Set? Go!" Rhett called. He stood still as he let Link get a running start. He let out a hearty laugh at how seriously Link was taking this race, and how his feet flopped when he ran. Link peeked behind him and scoffed at the sight of Rhett standing at the start like the light post beside him.

"Dude, in order to win a race you actually have to run!" Link called. Once he reached about half way to the finish, Rhett took off, darting so fast he could hardly be seen. By the time Link turned back forward, Rhett reached the trash can. Link stumbled to a stop and looked back at the start to find no one there. "What the... How did you...?!"

"I told you, man! I'm fast!" Rhett replied with a smile. "These are the strongest legs in L.A.!" He squatted low to the ground, flexing his leg muscles. Link giggled as he finally caught up.

"Do, uh... those legs do other stuff?" Link purred, giving Rhett a hooded gaze. Rhett blushed hard. "We could skip dinner and have some fun instead... I think my appetite has changed for the night." Rhett's heart thumped so hard he could hear it, and each beat jostled him like a series of riptides.

"We can... go back to my place," Rhett replied. "You know, since it's closer."

"Wow, you are an eager beaver, aren't you?"

Rhett laughed through his nose as Link led him put of the park. He took a moment to text Abbie that they were coming back and would like some privacy.

 

 


	16. The Harm in a Little Fun

Rhett walked Link to the apartment suite door. Both of them stifled their giggling as to not wake any neighboring tenants. Rhett felt like a teenager again, sneaking around like he was about to do something he was grounded from, or going to a party he wasn't allowed to go to. Rhett quickly and gently creaked the door open. He peeked around the suite, realizing the coast was clear. Either Abbie left for a while or was in her bedroom - hopefully with headphones on. He took Link's hand and shuffled inside. Rhett pointed Link to his room while he quietly locked up. He soon followed, and Link pulled him in for a surprise kiss. They wobbled together around the room, and Rhett picked up, moved, and hid every piece of Gemini notes they bumped into. It didn't take long before Link started tearing Rhett's shirt off like a hungry lion. Rhett lifted his long arms to aid him in his efforts, still keeping their kiss going. Link stopped the second he felt something odd hit his chest.

 "What is that?!" Link asked, pointing to the rhodolite gem on Rhett's makeshift necklace. Rhett looked down and seized up. His face flushed. He suddenly didn't know what to do with his hands. After what felt like forever in Rhett's mind, he chuckled a bit before giving an answer.

"I... I guess we're having a story time, aren't we?" he muttered. He sat down onto his bed and patted the space next to him, encouraging Link to sit as well. "You... probably don't know, and-and you should know."

"Is... Is this, like, a serious thing?" Link asked, not knowing where else to look except at the oddly familiar gem.

Rhett sighed and held the pink gem in his large hands. "When I... was very young..." he began, "my brother, Cole, and I decided to go exploring in the woods. We were kids. We did stupid things. And eventually we ended up finding what looked like an abandoned mine." He stopped looking at Link and stared off, as if the memory of that fateful day played on an invisible screen in front of him. "Naturally, we decided to check it out. We were running around, touching stuff, digging in the dirt and into the walls. I dug up this gem." He held the rhodolite up and displayed it so Link could see it nicely. "I ran off to show it to Cole, who was exploring another part of the mine at the time. When I found him he had somehow gotten himself trapped in one of the tunnels. Part of the rails and construction stuff down there had fallen, as well as tons of rock, dirt, and other materials. He was completely caved in." Tears began forming in his big, green eyes, and Link scooted closer. "I tried to dig him out, but he yelled - yelled for me to find help. I guess there wasn't much air in there or something, so he couldn't really say much. With the gem in hand, I ran back to town to find help. I noticed that I was running so much faster than usual, and it wasn't just the panic. I was going insanely fast for any living being, let alone a small child... but I still wasn't fast enough. By the time help came and got him out, he... he..."

Link wrapped his arms around Rhett, holding him tight as he rocked him gently to and fro. "It wasn't your fault," he whimpered. "That story terrified me as a child... If that happened to me, I would have hoped to have someone like you try to help. He was lucky." Rhett continued to mope without saying a word. "But... if it hurts you to keep that memory alive, why do you continue to wear that gem around your neck?" Rhett fiddled with the gem again as he thought about it.

"I don't... think I want the memory to die. This is the last thing I have that reminds me of him." He shook his head and blinked rapidly, bringing himself back to the reason why they came back up here. "But hey," he said with a more optimistic tone, "we're not here to get real like this, right?" He smirked at Link, trying as hard as he could to bury his sadness deep inside him and get back into the mood.

"You still want to?" Link asked.

"I do," Rhett rasped as he went in for another kiss. Link giggled and stopped him for a second.

"Did you wanna keep this on?" Link asked, lifting the twine of Rhett's necklace. Rhett took a moment to think about it. He figured Link would discover the truth about his abilities if he left it on. Who knows what would happen if he let go and went to town on him? He took it off and put it on his nightstand, deciding that using his ability on accident in the heat of the moment could get Link hurt. Link removed his glasses and handed them to Rhett. "I don't want them to fall off or get steamed up," Link said with a chuckle. Rhett happily placed the spectacles beside his gem on the nightstand, and then dove in for more kisses. His sudden weight on him made Link flop down flat onto the bed while they shuffled to remove each other's pants and briefs. In a quick move, Link shoved Rhett over and rolled him onto his back. After quick preparation, he propped himself atop Rhett, letting the taller man relax and enjoy himself.

Things did start to get a little too steamy in there, so Link wiped and stroked his hair back and continued control. Rhett peeked up at his face and froze, suddenly seeing what looked like a more human version of Gemini in Link's face. Link took notice of Rhett's change of pace and stopped as well.

"Why'd you stop?" Link asked as his hair flopped back onto his sweaty forehead. The illusion of Gemini disappeared momentarily, but he saw enough of him to grow instantly terrified. "Is everything okay?"

"I... think Abbie's back," Rhett stuttered. "You should probably go home." He gently lifted Link off of him and sat back up. Without missing a beat, he gathered his clothes and rushed to put them back on.

"I guess," Link grumbled. He started to get his clothes together too, but Rhett had finished first. His heart was pounding as he peered outside the room, pretending to be seeing if the coast was clear.

"She... just went into the bathroom, so we only have a couple minutes to get you out of here." He helped Link with the last few things, his socks and sneakers, before scurrying out the bedroom door. He led Link out faster than he ever wanted, but at the same time he really needed to get him out of there before something could happen. He didn't want to be rude, so he only saw it fair that he walked, or powerwalked, Link back to his apartment building.

"Rhett? What's wrong? You haven't said anything the whole way over here," Link asked. They remained under the doorway of Link's apartment building. Neither wanting to part just yet.

"Nothing," Rhett replied softly. "I'm-I'm just tired... We really exerted ourselves today."

"Yeah," Link breathed. "I just wish this could last forever... and that every day was as easy as today was."

"What do you mean?"

Link shrugged. "Uh... Work, I guess."

"Yeah..." Rhett looked at Link again, but he couldn't tell if he was being intimate or if he was looking for Gemini in Link's face. "Well... good night." He planted the gentlest kiss on Link's forehead. He watched Link go inside, and then stepped away from the building, keeping that window in sight. The window he saw Gemini escape to. His heart tried to leap out of his chest, praying to whatever kind of god out there that that window wouldn't light up.

His stomach dropped when it did.

Abbie was right.

Link was Gemini.


	17. From Bad to Worse

Rhett returned to his apartment much later than he had expected. Abbie was snuggled up in her red tank top and baggy pajama capris, reading patiently on the couch.

 "You were gone almost an hour," she commented. Her eyes didn't stray from the book. "Did you continue things at his place?"

Rhett walked over and flopped onto the recliner across from the couch. "No, no. I just went walking for a bit."

Abbie's dark brown eyes finally looked up from her book. "Alone?" she asked.

"Yeah, I walked him home and then needed some time alone to think."

"Oh?"

"Because, well... you were... right. About Link... He's Gemini."

"I knew that the second I saw him," she commented. "I'm just surprised it took you so long to see it... But more importantly, I'm impressed that he held himself together all day. He must really do care for you, Rhett."

"I just... don't know how I feel about that," Rhett answered, combing his fingers through his hair.

"That's understandable."

"What puzzles me is the lack of a motivation... I mean, I just can't understand why Link would go around terrorizing people and destroying places." Rhett leaned forward until his elbows reached his knees. "We walked by some of the places he ruined... He seemed so upset about them being destroyed. Some of them were some of his favorite places! Why would he do that to his favorite places?!"

Abbie didn't bat an eye. "To throw off suspicion. Criminals often act like they're the victims to make them seem innocent. Oftentimes, they actually trick themselves into believing it."

"But... but what about his ability?" Rhett added. "He was clearly struggling with them!"

"He was struggling to hold himself back. He knows his ability is dangerous, so he had to show you in the smallest ways possible."

Rhett clutched his fists as he dropped them down past his lap. Anything he could say to argue Link's case, Abbie had an answer for. It was unbelievable. It was even more unbelievable to him that her answers could be correct. He knew Link better than she did, but of course he didn't have enough physical evidence to dispute her claims. He had to go with her reasoning for now. He had to. He unclenched his fists and pushed himself off of the recliner. The weight of his predicament felt heavy on his spine. He dragged his feet to his room and paused when he got to the door.

Abbie sighed. "Listen, I'm sorry. But when you're in my line of work for so long, you've seen everything. I'm sorry things had to be this way... and I'm sorry I had to shove it in your face like that."

"No... You did what you had to," he sighed. "I'm... I just need to rest on all this. Today was a lot... I don't remember the last time I got a full night's sleep. I'm sure... I'm sure I'll feel more logical about this tomorrow... you know, rather than emotional." He leaned his head against the door frame with a soft thud.

"That's okay. Take as much time as you need." Abbie stared hesitantly at the novel in her hand. She turned back at Rhett's now closed door and sighed. "This whole thing really sucks, that's for sure..." She lightly tossed the book beside her and threw her head back in thought. She looked to the ceiling for the answers to the endless questions in her mind. Frustrated with her lack of answers, she snatched her book back up, shook her dark curls out of her face, and continued reading. She knew they'd figure something out when the time comes.

Rhett waddled further into his room and threw himself atop his bed. He honestly wasn't sure if he was ready to go to sleep just yet. His body still felt awake and alive, but his mind was so overwhelmed with conflicting thoughts and feelings he felt his brain would short-circuit and shut down. Instead, tears began falling on their own accord, dripping down from the outer corners of his eyes and down near his ears. He let them fall and didn't bother to wipe them away. He welcomed the cruel burning sensation they gave him, and eventually it was those tears that helped him put himself to sleep.

He woke up on his own free will at about nine in the morning. Regardless of the longevity of his sleep, he felt like he still didn't get enough. His eyes burned like hell, and he could still feel the trails of evaporated tears on the sides of his face.

Habitually, Rhett grabbed for the necklace around his neck, but it wasn't there. He patted around his chest, behind his head on the pillow, but he still found nothing. He recalled taking it off and putting it on the nightstand the night before, so he turned and looked there. It wasn't there either. His necklace was absolutely nowhere to be found. His stomach dropped as he looked around some more, checking between the bed and the nightstand, the bit against the wall, and behind he bed. He then tossed his sheets aside, hoping it might have fallen off of him while he slept. Still nothing. Everything inside of him twisted and burned. The room started to spin.

~

"You made me steal it!" Link shrieked, holding Rhett's gem necklace with eyes as wide as saucers. "How could you do that?!"

_By reaching and grabbing it, dim wad. It doesn't take much to make you do something for me._

"But why would you do that?! He can never trust me now! This thing meant the world to him and you made me steal it!"

_Look at it! Does it or does it not look like the gem that Libra guy wears?_

Link's level of panic dropped for a moment as he looked at the shape and color of the gem. It did look familiar. He thought he recognized it the second he saw it around Rhett's neck. But was it really from Libra?

_You should put it on and see what happens. Rhett said it gave him his ability. If this gem is what we think it is, it could give us Libra's power! The only way to tell if Rhett is Libra is to see what ability it gives us!_

Link pressed the gem down onto the table beside him. "You mean _you_ ," he grumbled, stepping away from the necklace. "I'm not letting you hurt any more people! I can't let you control me any longer!"

_But you wanna know... I can feel it right here in the inner chamber of your mind... Your curious little brain just_ has  _to know if your precious boyfriend was telling you the truth about his ability. If that necklace gives you Libra's power instead of the power Rhett told you he possesses... then you'll know for sure just who he is._

Link smacked the sides of his head, as if that would help shake Gemini out. "Stop it! You're... you're doing this! You're filling my head with these thoughts! I know Rhett... and - his ability is speed! I saw it myself!"

_Then prove it._

_Put it on._

Link stared long and hard at the necklace on the table. It glistened from the sunlight streaming in through the kitchen area window. His hand trembled as he forced it to reach out. As hard as it was to move, it was remarkably light, almost as if Gemini was trying to push it forward for him. He finally took hold of the string and lifted it up before him. His other hand came up with the same amount of hesitation before it snatched more of the string. He gently put the necklace over his head, and then dropped it. The pink gem swung side to side over his chest.

Link looked around, and then looked down at the gem. He didn't feel any different. Nothing at all. He held the gem in his hands, this time touching it without trepidation. Still, nothing seemed to have changed.

He tiptoed outside into the hallway. Luckily, no one was out and about. With a big breath, Link sprinted down the hallway, wondering if the gem would give him super speed. He got to the end at about the same speed he normally would have.

He then scurried back into his apartment and looked around for something to try to beat up. He eyed the couch and tripped over himself to get to it. He yanked one of the cushions off and gave it the biggest punch he could make. However, the cushion didn't leave his hand, and he bent his hand back a bit too far. He waved his throbbing hand from the impact as he hissed through his teeth.

_What is the meaning of this?!_

"Ha!" Link smirked in victory. "It does nothing! The gem does absolutely nothing! It's just a memento!" Link squeaked and cheered as he leaped onto the couch, letting the cushion drop to the floor. His giggles got higher and higher in pitch as he fished his pocket for his phone. "I'll just tell Rhett this was all a mistake and -" Gemini forced Link's thumbs into slamming the keyboard on his screen. The grip on the phone tightened to a squeeze. Link's arm suddenly seemed to move on it's own, and it flung the phone across the room and against the wall, smashing it to pieces.

_Incompetent fool! It will only react to one who's worthy of its power! I shall try the confounded gem myself! And there's nothing you can do to stop me!_

"No... No!!" In a spark of blue and a puff of thick smoke, Gemini took complete control of Link's body. All those hours of rest had helped him grow stronger than ever before. Link's attempts to resist were absolutely futile.

Gemini indulged in his new improved muscle tone and appearance. Black gloves adorned his blue-dipped arms, and dark speckling clouded where the gem sat on his chest. Its shine battled against the dark colors with its bright pink hue, but it didn't bother Gemini at all. His eyes shone more brilliantly than before with the new dark, speckled pigments of skin around his eye sockets. His presence became a more glorious and terrifying sight to behold, and he was ready to show it to the world.


	18. The Showdown

Abbie rapped at Rhett's bedroom door. "You awake?" she called. Even through the door, Rhett could still hear the slight tremor in her voice.

 "Yeah..." He tried not to let his voice squeak. His room was still spinning as he sat motionless on his bed. His heart kept beating faster and faster by the minute.

"Guess who decided to show up this morning."

Rhett was absolutely not at the mindset to hear that kind of news. He felt like screaming, but he knew he shouldn't. He glanced at his pillow, but then his brain got too caught up in the chaos engulfing him. If humans could spontaneously explode he felt like he would at any second.

After hearing no response from Rhett, Abbie continued her news from behind the door. "He's challenging you, Rhett. He's challenging Libra to a showdown at city hall."

"I can't go! I can't do it!" The words burst from his mouth like it wasn't attached to him. It had a mind of its own. "He'll eventually fizzle himself out waiting for me."

Abbie growled into a sigh as she finally decided to open the door. "Nah-uh! Now that you know who Gemini is, you suddenly don't have the balls to fight him?! You need to quit listening to your heart for a moment and think about the other people, Rhett! I understand you have feelings, but some things are more important!"

Rhett sat unmoving still. He breathed heavily and so deliberately slowly, which made his heart feel a bit more normal.

"He has my gem."

Abbie's words suddenly caught in her throat. She stared at Rhett with intense, widened eyes. "Wh... What?" Rhett turned slowly to face her. His terrified eyes glared back at her

"Gemini. Has. My gem."

~

With a mighty swing, Gemini whipped a stream of smoke at the supermarket. The ceiling caved and collapsed onto the innocent people inside. Gemini shrieked into a high-pitched cackle as he readied to do it again.

"Libra should have shown up by now!" he sneered. "What's taking him so damn long?!" He looked into the distance and spotted the downtown area of the city. Right in the middle lied city hall. If anything would get him on mainstream news quickly, it would be its destruction. Gemini snickered and started flying in city hall's direction. As he flew, he punched his arms outwards, creating swirls of wind and smoke from his arms. Both of them quickly grew into tornado-like structures. He did the same to his legs, spinning himself in the air until not only his legs, but his entire body became a giant accumulation of smoke tornadoes.

His movements slowed as he grew larger, but he grew tremendously stronger. Just walking by caused architecture around him to crumble. Debris collected in his limbs like vacuums. Gemini looked down at the gem pulsing around his neck and smiled, thanking it for such immeasurable power.

He finally reached city hall and immediately clapped his enormous tornado hands together, smushing the building together before collapsing. A small crowd of people hurried out, but they seemed hesitant to leave. It seemed that the mayor was still inside, underneath the pile of rubble that was the city hall. Gemini crouched down closer to their level. His entire face swirled into a dark abyss as his glowing eyes paralyzed the people below.

"Where's your precious hero now?!"

"I'm right here!"

Everyone close by turned to see their beloved Rhodolite Libra. They cheered as he dove straight into the rubble of city hall.

"The hell are you doing?! I'm over here!" yelled Gemini. "I've been waiting for you to show up for nearly a half hour you jerk!"

Pillars, wood, and cement were tossed away, and in record time, Libra came back out with passed out councilmen in one arm and the mayor in the other. The man was miraculously alive, but was on the brink of drifting into unconsciousness. He laid them aside, where the other city and government workers helped make sure everyone was still okay while waiting for emergency vehicles to arrive.

He looked up at the terrifying twister amalgamation and took a deep breath. "I'm here for the people, Gemini," he boomed. His insides knotted up at the sight of his gem hanging down around Gemini's neck. Those huge, blue eyes bore down on him, sending shivers down his spine.

"Sure you are," Gemini hissed as he knelt down to Rhett's level. "The puny hero of Los Angeles... I remember you being much stronger... less... terrified. Our first encounter, now... hoo, was that something!" His huge eyes squinted at him. "Now, what happened then? Oh, right!" With a heavy hand, Gemini shot a fist toward Rhett in a mind-blowing gust of wind. Luckily, Rhett managed to jump out of the way just in time. With a growl, Gemini punched again from above, and left a crater in its wake. Rhett flipped forward in a light bound and found himself clinging to Gemini's tornado arm. He felt like he was in the middle of a tempest storm at sea, and the riptides were trying so hard to suck him into the waters below. But there was no ocean here. Just air and smoke blowing over fifty miles per hour around and down Gemini's ginormous arms. The longer he clung, the more solid the arm seemed to feel. With a sharp breath, Rhett began to climb up the arm. Of course, Gemini noticed him like he was a fly on his arm and plucked him off, dangling Rhett by his wrists stories high above the ground.

"Hey!" Rhett yelped, wriggling and writhing as much as he could.

"You are so pathetic! So weak and helpless without your gem!" Gemini cackled. He jiggled the gem around his neck with his other hand. His terrifying smirk never left his smoky face. "I should really be thanking you! With this much power, I'll never have to deal with your precious boyfriend again!"

Rhett stopped wiggling and gasped. His heart sank to his stomach. His nerves seized up tight. "Link..." he breathed. "What did you do with him?!"

"He's nothing to worry about now! He's gone for good! And it's all thanks to -"

Rhett yanked his arms out of Gemini's grasp and plummeted down towards the street below. He closed his eyes, half of him expecting to get hurt upon touchdown, while the other half hoping everything would be okay. He sighed at the feeling of his feet perfectly hitting the ground, so he jumped, successfully bounding himself high up into the air again. He smiled and almost laughed. He was okay! His body, his ability... everything! His confidence sparked throughout his body as he grew closer to a half-destroyed wall from city hall. He kicked himself off it and launched straight for Gemini's leg. He cut right through like a missile.

Gemini cried out at the impact, and bent over to fix the wound with more smoke. With his larger size, however, his movements were far too slow for the likes of Rhett. Rhett darted back and forth between city hall and the neighboring government building, putting holes through Gemini's form faster than a group of starving moths attacking an old sock. Before Gemini could get the chance to react after keeling over, Rhett bounded up high into the air and swan-dived his way back down, hitting Gemini from his head all the way down his tunnel cloud torso to the ground beneath him. Gemini's giant body puffed into he air, releasing almost an atomic-level gust of wind around them.

Rhett flopped over and tumbled a good few yards. Out of thin air, Gemini materialized himself into his average sized, human form. He launched through the air toward Rhett, kicking his helmet against the cement. Before he could fly off, Rhett snatched one of his ankles and yanked him down to the ground with him. He then rolled atop him, pinning Gemini to the road. He panted hard as he mentally celebrated this moment. However, in that brief moment he had let his guard down. Gemini took the opportunity and sucker punched Rhett right off of him. He immediately began to run. The second Rhett got himself back up, he darted for Gemini. He wasn't ready to let him get away that easily. Not again. Thanks to his super speed, he was able to make it to Gemini in time, and thumped the villain back down to the ground. Gemini quickly swept his leg out, hooking Rhett in he back of his leg. Rhett remembered his training with Dennis, and skip-jumped out of the hook. While Gemini's leg was still swinging, Rhett nabbed it and tugged him closer with it, dragging his torso against the cement.

"Gahh!" Gemini cried. Rhett took the moment to pin him down properly. He rolled Gemini onto his chest with a tired kick, and then took hold of Gemini's arms and held them behind his back. Both of them were panting now.

"You're not going anywhere," Rhett sighed.

"I don't understand..." Gemini coughed. His double voice bounced in and out of synchronization. "How did you still have your abilities... without your gem?"

"I thought it was the gem too," Rhett admitted, still trying to keep his ground as he texted Abbie, who was currently helping out with the city hall survivors. "I think it was the love I have that brought out my true ability... the love for those I care about. Like my brother... and... Link."

Gemini trembled as he seemed to glitch out of his form. He didn't seem to make it all the way, as his hair still floated in the air. His skin, however, was a greyed version of his normal flesh tone. His pupilless eyes flickered with their light.

"I know you're in there, Link!"

The flickering stopped, but his eyes remained pupilless. The blue eyes he fell in love with were still trapped in there. He knew Link was fighting. He was giving it his all, and through Gemini's current vulnerability, he was prevailing. Rhett let go of Link's arms and stepped back.

It was then Abbie pulled her cruiser over. She got out with a pair of handcuffs and stopped at the sight before her. For once, she didn't know what to do.

The cross between Link and Gemini broke down to tears. He sighed and gasped through broken sobs on the street. His voice was split and broken between Link's and Gemini's.

"All... All my life I was treated like a monster! And anyone who had abilities were taught to hide them... shield them from the world... They were strange! And wrong! The world needed to see these abilities for what they were... dangerous." He slowly lifted himself higher to see Rhett better. " _Your_  abilities make you out to be a hero... and they're seen as an enhancement of humanity instead of a burden..." He breathed deep and screamed, "What did I do to deserve this torture?!"

Rhett knelt beside the man and put a hand on his shoulder. "Link... Gemini... being a possessor only _adds_  to humanity. What makes you human is still there, whether you can run fast, spit fire, or turn into a giant tornado. You still understand what's right... and what is wrong." He rubbed his shoulder as gently as he could. "It looks like these thoughts have been haunting you for some time, Link... They've somehow... manifested and twisted your ability into its own identity." He breathed a small chortle at the realization. "No wonder it called itself Gemini."

Link coughed the rest of Gemini out of him. He shivered on the ground as he continued to sob. He turned over and looked back up at the helmeted hero and smiled through his tears.

"Can I... see your face, Rhett? I... I wanna see your face."

Rhett did what was asked instantly, and revealed his own tears dripping down his face. He smiled warmly at his lover.

Abbie walked over with the cuffs, but still kept her distance. Rhett held a finger out to her.

"Gimme a minute," he breathed. "I'm not ready yet."

"I understand," she whispered. "But I'm here when you are."

Link sniffled as he removed the gem necklace and handed it to Rhett. "I'm sorry I took it... I think... Gemini found his way into me at that moment..."

Rhett placed the necklace back around his own neck. It felt so much better to have it back, but he could tell it was mainly an emotional thing and nothing more. Holding that shard of rhodolite held a different meaning to him than it ever did before.

He moved his attention back to Link and opened his arms to him. Link shuffled closer and threw himself into them as he hugged Rhett tight. His tears soaked Rhett's suit, but it didn't matter to either of them. Rhett squeezed Link and kissed the side of his head.

"I never meant to hurt anybody... None of this should've happened."

"I know, Link... I know."

"I just... hated myself and my ability so much... I didn't know what to do."

Rhett loosened his grip and looked Link in the eye. "I can help you. We can fix it all together."

"No we can't, Rhett... I have to go to jail. I need to pay for what I've done to this city." He looked past Rhett's shoulder.

Rhett turned to where he was looking and saw Abbie, who had been waiting so patiently. He was so glad to have had her on this journey, and if it wasn't for her, he'd still be working his dead-beat job back in North Carolina. He never would have learned his true potential, made new friends, or even met the love of his life. But it was now, with a heavy heart, he had to do what he had promised to do to him. He and Link rose carefully to their feet. Rhett gently accepted the handcuffs and reapproached Link with slow, heavy steps. Link breathed deeply and held his wrists out, making it a bit easier for Rhett.

Rhett's hands trembled as he clasped the cuffs on Link. He let out the breath he had been holding and tried to keep his voice calm.

"You have the right... to remain silent. Anything... Anything you say can... and will... be held against you in a court of law. You have the right... to an attorney. If... If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you."

It took all of his power to not break down at the sight of Link's beautiful smile.


	19. The Trial

The courtroom was absolutely full. The news of Gemini's arrest spread around like a virus, and at this point the whole country was watching the trial. Television cameras were set up throughout the courtroom, and various reporters were outside talking to the outraged citizens outside, who all seemed to be rooting for a guilty sentence.

 Abbie made sure a reserved seat was given to Rhett, so that he would get a good view and be near Link at the defendant's table. He felt he had to be there, not only because he was the one who made the arrest, but he also wanted to support Link and give him comfort.

A bit later than expected, the doors finally swung open to find Abbie and the bailiff escorting Link to the defendant's table. She sneered at the empty table before setting him down. She shot a fiery glance at the prosecutor's table. The mayor was there, whispering with his attorney. Abbie then marched away and slammed herself down beside Rhett. Her dark irises of burning rage did not stray from the prosecutor's table.

"What's wrong?" Rhett whispered to her. He peeked in the direction she was glaring.

"They didn't seem to appoint a lawyer to Link. If one doesn't show up, that means this whole trial is rigged for him to fail," she grumbled quietly. "It's just what the mayor wants... damn politician."

"Well, I mean, he did get crushed under city hall. Let's not give him too much credit," Rhett mumbled. "But yeah, he should still have gotten a lawyer. He has the right." Link seemed to have overheard them. Regardless of their whispering, he was close enough to hear them.

"I asked for this," Link chimed softly. "I know what I did was bad. I'm willing to pay for it completely."

"But Link!" Rhett paused, realizing he may have been too loud. "It wasn't really your fault; it was Gemini who did all that stuff! You can't go to prison, Link... I can't allow it."

Abbie nudged Rhett's side. "Shh. He's coming." Everyone straightened up to notice the judge climbing up to his podium. Silence filled the courtroom. The man gazed upon the court. The long cloak over his large body really gave him a dominating aura in the room. He brushed a strand of grey into the rest of his brown hair as he awaited his introduction.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Vincent O'Malley. He will be presiding over today's court session: Mayor Paul Cox and the city of Los Angeles vs. Charles Lincoln Neal, the third... also known to the public as Gemini."

Judge Vincent gave a quick, blue-eyed glance at the mayor before directing his attention to Link. He winced as he gave Link a once-over.

"Where is the defense attorney?" he bellowed. The court murmured in light commotion, which was promptly silenced by two knocks of the judge's gavel.

Link stood straight up. He looked directly at the judge, calmer than he ever was in his entire life.

"Your honor, I did not appoint myself an attorney." All eyes immediately bore onto him. Rhett grew breathless, and his legs started squirming under his seat. "I'm here to attest to my actions and be given a fair sentence."

The jury whispered frantically. Some jotted down notes. The judge knocked his gavel again, wordlessly silencing the room.

"What do you mean, Charles?" he asked. "You fully admit to your crimes, taking full responsibility for all damages, injuries, and deaths caused by Gemini attacks?"

Link cleared his throat. "First of all... your honor... I would prefer to be called Link. My... father... He was known as Charles." He took a breath. "And yes. All those buildings that were destroyed... all those people who had gotten hurt, injured... and those who sadly died. That was me. That was all my doing, and I couldn't do a thing to stop it... I'm sorry." The courtroom flooded in gasps, whispers, and murmurs of outrage. Rhett, no longer able to control his trembling legs jolted up out of his seat. His incredibly tall stature and sudden spike in volume attracted the entire court room's attention immediately.

"Hold it, your honor! I object!" Abbie sank into her seat and slapped her hands over her reddened face.

The judge slammed his gavel several times to bring order once again to the room. "What on Earth is going on in here?! Who are you, and what gives you the authority to interfere in this session?" The sudden pressure of being the center of attention really got to Rhett then, as his face completely flushed and his lanky legs were forced to keep from trembling.

"I... My name's Rhett, sir. Rhett McLaughlin. I just..." He looked to Link for comfort, and his blushed face found his patiently. However, his cerulean eyes gazed back with upturned brows. "Link can't be held accountable for his actions!"

"I beg your pardon?!"

"You don't understand..." Rhett scooted out of the pew and into the center aisle. "I mean, yes, it was Link's _body_ that contributed to the endangerment of the public... and for destroying all that property... but it wasn't really _him_  that did it!"

"I don't understand," the judge sighed. "Does that make you, what, a witness? Why should I listen to you right now?"

"I..."

"Listen, Mr. McLaughlin. If you are going to disrupt my court like this and stall the hearing with such absurd claims, you will be asked to vacate the premises."

"With all due respect, your honor, these claims are not absurd and are one hundred percent true. I'll swear on the Bible, God, or anything. If you want me to speak at the stand, I will, but listen to me!" Rhett turned and faced the court, then looked up at the jury. "I've been looking around at y'all here... and I only see hatred! Judgement! Sneering faces directly at Link, here, like he's a freaking _monster_! This is a _courtroom_! This is supposed to be a room full of unbiased thoughts and opinions. But right now, all I see is people hpoing for this man to be sentenced to death! That is unacceptable!"

The room was eerily silent.

The judge bounced his head side to side. "Alright, Mr. McLaughlin. I agree with you on the... angry aura in the room right now. Regarding your witness statement, I'm willing to at least listen to what you want to say if that is the wish of the defendant." The judge then glanced over at the mayor, who was absolutely fuming. He gestured for Rhett to come forward, and Rhett proudly and boldly did so. The bailiff held out a bible. Rhett immediately put his hand on it and recited the oath of truth and honesty. Abbie tapped on Link and encouraged for him to sit down and relax for a bit. He slowly sat down and watched intently.

"What's he doing?" Link whispered.

Abbie groaned softly, "I don't know, and I'm shocked that Vinnie's actually listening to him. Everything I learned in college tells me he shouldn't have..." She looked up at Rhett in the witness stand. "He must really want this to be fair for you... because until the very second Rhett stood up, you were certain to be sentenced to capital punishment, if not imprisonment for life. As crazy and stupid as he's behaving right now, he basically just saved your life."

It never really sank into Link how serious these charges were against him. He figured maybe a few years in jail, and then he could see Rhett again. He was willing to live with that, but a death sentence? He really did save his life. Link nearly teared up right then and there at the mere thought. His heart throbbed heavily for the first time today in the hope of an easy sentence. He wished he could run up to that witness stand and engulf Rhett in his arms. He'd have to wait until afterwards to thank him properly.

The judge peered over his podium. "Mayor Cox," he called, filling the courtroom again with his bellowing voice. "Do you or your attorney have anything to say before we hear any witness accounts?"

"Yes," chimed the mayor's attorney. "This man just claimed himself a witness, but was not listed on the case file, and was therefore not approved."

"I'm approving of it now," he judge replied, finishing his statement with a smack of his gavel. Abbie stifled a chuckle at the witty remark. "Anything else?" The attorney's jaw was left agape. The mayor looked around wordlessly. "Great! So Mr. Neal..."

"Yes, your honor?"

"Do you call this witness to the stand, and by doing so, allow him to testify in your defense?" Link recalled what Abbie had told him just a moment ago, and looked back up to Rhett at the witness stand. He perked up like a prairie dog behind that podium, and he was so tall he looked so out of place. Link found it adorable. He knew Rhett had a lot to say, and if it meant an easier sentence where he could see him more often than he initially expected, he was going to let him speak.

"Yes. Yes, your honor... I call Rhett McLaughlin to the witness stand."

"Great. Now here's the thing," he judge began. "Since you have no attorney present, Mr. Neal, the prosecution will be allowed to question your witness. If there are any pieces of information missing that I find would be important to the case that were not addressed by the prosecution, I will have liberty to ask. Unless you are acting as your own attorney, you may not interfere with the questioning, and will only speak when asked a question. Do you decide to act as your own attorney, or do you accept the terms instead?"

"I..." Link looked behind him to Abbie, who shook her head rapidly. "I do not act as my own attorney. I accept the terms." He looked back at her again. She nodded slowly and breathed deeply.

"Very well," replied the judge. He gestured for the prosecutor to move forward. The prosecutor stayed with the mayor for a while, whispering with him frantically before stepping up to the witness stand. Meanwhile, Abbie leaned up closer to the back of Link's head.

"Good," she whispered. "You would be better off answering questions than asking them. Trust me."

"Honestly, I wouldn't really know what questions I should ask that would help my case," Link whispered back, facing forward.

"I'd go up there to help you out, but I'm here as an officer. It would cause more damage on my end than it is for Rhett to do what he did... But I'll still try to help in whatever ways I can."

"Thanks, Abbie."

At that point, the mayor and his attorney stopped making a fuss, and the attorney finally made his way over to Rhett.

"Mr. Berrian, you may now question the witness," Judge Vincent announced. Mr. Berrian put on a steely face and approached Rhett with deliberate footing.

"Mr. McLaughlin," he yelled loud enough for the entire courtroom to hear clearly, "you call yourself a witness to this case. What exactly _are_ you a witness of? For clarity's sake. I believe I'm not the only one in this room who's confused by your previous claim."

Rhett stayed in his upright position, sitting pretty behind he stand. "Gemini is not Link, but he uses Link's body. He is a separate being living inside him like a parasite."

"Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?" Mr. Berrian sneered.

Rhett raised his eyebrows. "Yeah," he replied, "but don't  _you_ realize that a lot of things possessors can do sound ridiculous, yet are true? Everyone in this room has seen at least one instance of a ridiculous ability. Poor usage of ridiculous abilities can cause ridiculous side effects." The room grew dead silent as Mr. Berrian hesitated.

"Okay. Now what makes you sure that is the case? Have you any proof?" Mr. Berrian leaned against the stand, smirking at the man on the other side of it.

"I saw it with my own eyes."

"When?"

"During the... the battle at city hall. I was... passing by at the time. I watched Gemini fight Rhodolite Libra."

"Who?"

"You know! The, uh... pink guy." Rhett sighed having to say hose words. Mr. Berrian nodded at the clarification.

"What exactly did you see?"

"I saw a struggle between two identities within the same body. They came in waves when Gemini was vulnerable. Link fought his way through. He didn't want that all to go down!"

"And where is the proof of this? I see no... photographs... no recordings available on file to present to the court. I'm afraid the court cannot take this one eyewitness account and present it as clear, hard evidence."

"Have you anything to back up your claim, Mr. McLaughlin?" asked the judge.

Abbie tapped on her seat and grinded her teeth before finally pushing herself to her feet.

"I... saw it too, your honor," she shouted. She mentally kicked herself for her action, but she didn't know what else to do at the moment. Link spun to face her, shocked to see her act against her words from earlier. Judge Vincent raised his brows at her as well.

"Chief Carreira... I would never expect this kind of behavior from the chief of police... You even took part in Mr. Neal's arrest."

"As an act of duty, your honor." She paused for a deep breath. "But as an eyewitness, I know that this man is not fully responsible for what happened to the city. What he needs is proper ability training. Maybe even therapy in case of any underlying neurological causes for Gemini's existence."

"Chief Carreira, this -"

"I _saw_ it, your honor!" Abbie's voice permeated beyond the courthouse. The jury, the judge, everyone was shocked into silence.

Another brave soul stood up from his pew.

"I saw it too, your honor," he chimed proudly. The woman beside him also stood.

"I did too."

More individuals rose from their seats and added their witness accounts to the chaos. They all repeated their words until they all spoke as one, chanting rhythmically. Judge Vincent slammed his gavel a handful of times until the voices ceased.

"Order! Please!" He sighed as he rubbed his eyes. "Why don't we all take a ten minute recess... calm ourselves down before this case continues." He eyed Abbie in the crowd. "If anyone else acts out upon return, they will be escorted out and will not be permitted for re-entry." He smacked his gavel once more, and many people left the room. Link turned to the bailiff and requested to move to a different room to speak to his witness. The bailiff nodded and escorted him out. Rhett shuffled behind him, with Abbie following suit.

"Link!" Rhett yelped, earning a huge smile from Link.

"Rhett, you bafoon," Link giggled as he slapped his arms around him. "I can't believe you did that! I mean, I appreciate you standing up for me and all, but why'd you have to be so dang extra?!" He giggled against Rhett's chest and shoulder as his arms stayed locked on him. His head bounced with every heavy chuckle Rhett let out.

"I just had to, man." He paused to kiss Link on the forehead. "It wouldn't have been fair for you. I promised to bring justice when I put on that suit, and that's what I intend to do." Abbie smiled at Rhett's words as she witnessed the whole exchange.

"As do I," she chimed. The two turned as they released each other.

"I'm actually surprised you broke order in there, Abs. You could've gotten some really serious punishment in your position," Rhett commented.

"Yeah, well that can still happen. So don't count your chickens just yet." She put her hands firmly on her hips. "You know, you were right about that whole justice thing. Not just what you said now, but in the courtroom too. For someone who didn't go to law school, you're handling yourself pretty well." Rhett perked up at such a compliment. Abbie turned to Link. "And I was wrong about him." Link looked up at her with big, glimmering eyes. "His heart is pure, and his feelings are genuine. I know Gemini isn't who he really is, and I'm determined to help make Vinnie see that."

"Abbie..." Link walked over and gave Abbie a big hug. Rhett was stunned speechless. "Thank you." The two dispersed, and Abbie returned her hands to her hips.

"If only we could prove what we saw that day..." she grumbled. Her eyes focused on the carpet as she tried to think of a way that would work. "I doubt you would want to try and summon Gemini just to fight him off again."

"That sounds like a disaster!" Link squeaked, holding himself subconsciously.

"Who knows what could come of that?!" Rhett added.

"Not to mention what it would do to Link's health," Abbie muttered. She began pacing the room.

"Wait... What about the cameras?" Rhett asked. "The street cams all over the city? City hall's got to have plenty of them! At least one of them should've gotten a view of what happened."

"The archives!" Abbie chirped in agreement. "I know where they would be, so I'll go and collect them. I'll get them back here before any sentencing can be made."

"You can't do that!" Rhett squealed. "Court continues in five minutes! How the hell are you gonna travel all the way over to the video archives, find and gather the right videos, and then get back here in less than five minutes?!"

"It's impossible," Abbie replied as she fished for her keys in her uniform. "That's why you are gonna act as Link's attorney while I'm gone, and you're gonna stall the sentencing as long as you can."

"What?!" Link squeaked.

"Are you kidding?!" Rhett shouted.

"It won't be the craziest thing that has happened in that courtroom today. You can handle it!" With that, she sprinted out of the building with her keys in hand. Within seconds, Rhett and Link could hear her cruiser's sirens come on before fading down the street.

"Stall...?" Rhett squeaked. Link held Rhett's shoulders to get his attention.

"Yes. Stall," he purred. "Ask me questions! Lots of questions in the witness booth. I can give them a sob story for extra time."

"Sympathy points... That's good," Rhett agreed. "And that would seriously help if your story is as bad as I expect it is."

"What do you mean?" Link asked. His voice was suddenly very low and quiet. "What makes you think my story's bad?"

"Link, you've avoided almost every conversation that has anything to do with your past. What do you think that might mean?" Link rolled his eyes with a guilty grin. Rhett kissed his forehead once more. "You can't fool me." Link giggled, and then looked again toward where Abbie had left.

"Do you really think she'll be back in time?" he barely asked. "Eventually, we're gonna run out of things to say."

Rhett put a hand on his shoulder and shook it a little. "She'll be back before we know it. Especially since she's driving with the sirens on. Not even L.A. traffic can stop her." Link smiled and kissed him.

They were then called to return to the court. The bailiff reentered the room and escorted Link there. Rhett stayed by his side this time, finally sitting beside him at the defendant's table. Judge Vincent peered at the two of them.

"What is the meaning of this?" he sighed, hanging his arm off the edge of his pedestal.

Rhett arose to his feet. "Mr. Neal has appointed me as his defense attorney, your honor, sir." Link tapped on the side of Rhett's long leg, wordlessly urging him to sit down. Thankfully, he got the message and sat back down.

The judge did not seem convinced. He gestured for the bailiff to come near, and the man marched up to the pedestal without missing a beat. He whispered to the judge, who nodded, rolled his large, blue eyes, and sighed.

"Alright." Judge Vincent coughed to clear his throat. "Before the reprieve, we established that the accused, Charles - aka. Link - Neal is the villain known as Gemini. However, an eyewitness account claims that Gemini is merely a parasite living in Mr. Neal's body and materializes as its own identity. At this point in time, there is no evidence to support that claim... which means it cannot be considered as fact. Does the defense have anything to add before we continue the trial?"

Rhett shoots up out of his seat, making his hair clang onto the floor. The thud echoed through the room. Link stretched behind him and pulled the hair back up for him as Rhett started talking.

"Yes, your honor. I request permission to call a witness to the stand."

"Who is the witness?"

Rhett lifted Link's arm, taking the sheepish man by surprise. "Link, sir."

"Objection, your honor!" called the prosecutor.

Judge Vincent lifted his hand from the pedestal. "Overruled. Say what you need to say, so we can move on."

"Of course, your honor," Rhett said with a bow. He escorted Link gently to the witness stand. Link took one look into the crowd and his face immediately flushed. His grip tightened on the fabric of his jeans as his heart began to race. Rhett moved in direct line of Link's sight. His gentle expression helped calm Link down a bit. "It's okay, Link," he whispered. "It's gonna be okay." He smiled, making Link smile back ever so tenderly.

"Proceed," called the judge. He sat up straight, caught his hands, and bunched his dark brows as he listened.

Rhett took a deep breath and straightened himself out. He puffed his chest out and lifted his chin up a bit as he prepared for his newly assigned role. He felt like he was in a play, but the stakes were much higher than just putting on a show. He had to make what he and Link said count.

"Mr. Neal," he began with a slightly deeper and stern voice. He focused on keeping his words loud, clear, and slow. _Most_ importantly slow. "I am certain... the jury and court would like to know about the origin of this unique ability case, would they not?" Slight murmurs were heard throughout the room. "So tell me this, what is the ability that you possess... as a... possessor?" Some light chuckles were scattered in the court.

Link breathed slow, trying to ignore the crowd and focus on Rhett before him. "I... can control heat to the point of emanating and manipulating smoke. I haven't... really had much practice with it, so I'm afraid I'm not really good."

Rhett slapped the table in offense to Link's modesty, startling Link and everyone else with its immaculate sound. He froze as he tried to stifle a laugh. His cheeks perked enough that Link could still see the amusement in his face.

Rhett cleared his throat. "Would you demonstrate this ability for us?"

"Objection on public endangerment!" shouted the prosecutor. The judge did not hesitate to slam the gavel.

"That's not a qualified reason for objection, Mr. Berrian, but I will agree. As much as I'd like to see a demonstration of this ability first-hand, I believe some safety measures must be made first." He snapped his fingers, and the bailiff, along with a handful of other officers trotted up to the stand with handcuffs and a straitjacket. Some circled around Link with tranquilizer guns and fire extinguishers. The two with handcuffs attached one around each of Link's wrists and the other side to the bench. The chains were long enough for him to move his hands just a little bit. The straitjacket was held at the ready just behind Link. Once they were all ready and standing their ground, Judge Vincent nodded for Link to proceed.

"Can... Can I have a candle?" Link asked. "Or something safe to demonstrate with?"

"I have a lighter," exclaimed one of the jury members. She passed it downwards for the bailiff to collect. It was then offered to Rhett.

"Why don't you hold the lighter..." Rhett said, guiding the bailiff to the center of the main area of the courtroom, "...here. That way everyone can see." He slid the lighter upwards between the bailiff's fingers. "Hold it at its base so that the people know that whatever happens was not caused by you." Rhett then hops over to Link, but keeps his distance so that he is not serving as a distraction.

Link gulped and took a deep, slow breath. He focused his power on the little blue lighter. He'd never worked with a lighter before, so he wasn't sure how this would pan out. He had to take the chance, so he went for it. With a snap of his fingers, the lighter sparked. He tried it again, and got a bigger spark. A tiny wisp of smoke fluttered from the flint inside the lighter. It wasn't big enough for people to really see it, so he snapped once more, nice and loud. The lighter finally sparked ablaze and the court collectively gasped. The ever-flowing plume of smoke danced above the flame. He swirled his finger as if beckoning the smoke over to him. The court was deafeningly silent as they watched the rules of physics break before their very eyes. Link continued swirling his finger, manipulating the smoke into a ring shape in the air, about eight inches in diameter. With a wave of his hand, he brushed the smoke ring away. A few members of the court lightly applauded the trick. Link smiled, not realizing this would be entertaining to some of these people. He looked to Rhett, who smiled as well, but kept his words of encouragement to himself for the time being.

Rhett returned to the front of the witness stand, and the bailiff gave the lighter back to its owner.

"What is it that Gemini does?" Rhett asked.

"He... uses my ability to destroy things," Link muttered, keeping his head low.

"Why do you think he does this?"

"He... I think he wants us... possessors... to be thought of as dangerous. He wants abilities to be seen as unnatural and as something to hide instead of something that makes us stand out."

"Was... Gemini _always_  within you?"

"Objection!" yelled the prosecutor. "The defense is assuming facts!"

"That is correct," the judge bellowed. "There is still no proof that Gemini is a separate identity, so it should not be part of the testimony."

"We do have proof!" snarled Rhett. He coughed to calm himself down before his own ability started acting up on it's own accord. "Uh, your honor... The evidence is currently in transit. It should arrive any minute. To prevent this trial to last longer and drag on longer than necessary, would it be acceptable to explore the idea until the evidence has completed its course in transit and is shown to you and the rest of the court, sir?" He grinned from ear to ear, hoping his long sentences also aided in his attempt to stall the verdict.

"Your question is revoked until the evidence is shown." The judge leaned on one hand, loathing the idea of this trial lasting even a second longer than necessary, but he had let Rhett get away with too much already, and honestly he couldn't take it anymore. Rhett grumbled quietly to himself, and then readied his attorney voice again.

He turned back to Link, suddenly grinning from ear to ear. "So, Mr. Neal... could you tell us, then, your history with Gemini?" Rhett subtly looked up and around, and smiled that what he asked this time seemed to be acceptable for the time being.

"Yes... Yes, I can." Link paused and straightened himself up in his seat. His wrists were starting to get really uncomfortable with the cuffs on, but he felt like it was better to keep them on in case he became vulnerable during his testimony. "I... had my ability since birth... but Gemini didn't come into my life until I was... around high school age. Yeah. I was either a sophomore or junior at the time."

"What happened before he started showing up?" Rhett asked, leaning on the bench.

"What do you mean?"

"You said you _always_ had your ability. How were you utilizing it before... uh... Gemini? Any ideas on what may have caused that to happen?"

Link bit the inside of his cheek, thinking back to that dreaded childhood he never wanted to recall again. "Well..." he began, "As a kid growing up in a religious small town like I did, people liked to talk about anything that was... you know, unlike what other people were like or doing in the community. Whether it was about a biracial couple that just moved in, one of the neighbors' kids was revealed to be gay, or... apparently... people developing strange, inhuman abilities. People naysayed, jeered, talked smack..." He sighed. "The second I started showing people my ability, I was taught to hide it and lock it away. If I was caught practicing, or even if I did something by accident, I was punished, hurt, and yelled at." His gaze flickered from one side of the bench to the other as he recalled those countless memories. "I was just a kid..." He blinked in realization. "In fact, I feel the same way with Gemini now that I did with those people as a kid... It hurts me to be taken over by him. It spirals me into... what I can only describe as a pit of depression. I hated myself in those moments! It wasn't until..." He looked up again at Rhett, and his eyes met his own. "... until someone... very special inspired me to be a better me. I started practicing... and it made me feel so happy... so successful at the little things I was able to do with my ability. Suddenly it was treated as a gift, or a talent... and not an omen."

Rhett had to stop himself from blushing and smiling like a fool. "In... That's... That's interesting..." He squished his face to calm himself down. "Um... now at what point did this ability of yours seem to escalate? I mean, if you weren't using it, how could you have known Gemini was starting to... come out of you?" He looked around again, hoping his weird wording left him in the clear. He breathed when he realized he was good to go.

"I... I'm not sure if I'm... comfortable talking about it... honestly." Link looked around at the policemen with the tranquilizer guns still in front of him. "Not with the guns pointed at me like this."

The bailiff looked to Judge Vincent for confirmation. The judge gave him a nod, and the cops were commanded to stand at ease.

"Thank you," Link breathed. "So... uh... there was this... party? Again, this was either sophomore year or junior year. I don't really remember. Guy in one of my classes invited a bunch of us to one of those... abandoned kind of houses that were scattered in the woods along the Cape Fear river. We ended up playing one of those teenager games. Spin the bottle or something like that. The bottle landed on me, and it freaked me out. The nerves got to me, and..." He closed his eyes tight and inhaled sharply. His vibrating fists jingled the chains from around his wrists. Rhett reached forward and laid his hand atop Link's.

"You okay?" he whispered. "Look at me. Look at me, Link." Link opened his eyes, but his hands still shook. The warmth of Rhett's large hand felt so nice, and the look in those smokey green eyes melted his soul. He could feel his heart slow down its unbearable rhythm as he exhaled. "You're gonna be okay." Link nodded and took another deep breath before continuing.

"I... Smoke burst from my hands... and some embers splattered onto the floorboards we were playing on... I didn't mean for it to happen! And the fire spread so quickly..."

Something sparked in Rhett's mind. This story started to sound familiar... but it wasn't Link who told him about it. It was someone a long time ago. A girl at school. In his classes.

"The house burned down within seconds! We were all lucky to make it out alive... but... Many of the others got hurt. I never returned to that school ever again..."

"That's why we never..." Rhett whispered. He stopped his sentence when Link squinted at him. He quickly straightened back up and returned to character.

"I had to lie to my own mother to get me transferred... but it wasn't enough to clear my slate. Some of those kids found out my address and expressed their... um, feelings. My mom found out and had us move out of state. Unfortunately, the spurts started happening more and more often. I eventually had to drop out of high school midway through senior year. Ran away from home so my mother wouldn't have to deal with me and my curse of an ability anymore."

 Rhett gasped at the pieces of hair beginning to float out of Link's hairdo. He clutched Link's hand harder, and they floated back down. Link was back in complete control.

"Don't slip away from me now," Rhett whispered. His big eyes stayed focused on him. "We can do this. You're doing great." Link coughed a little puff of smoke and breathed nice and slowly.

"I started to hear a voice... in my head... during these spurts... once I was truly alone. I became completely victim to my ability, and succumbed to its unpredictability. I kept moving across the country... state to state to state... until eventually I got here. I guess it started getting really bad when I didn't have anywhere else to go from here. I considered Canada, but I couldn't keep running forever." He paused once more to collect his thoughts. "I think it was that panic that made me lose myself completely to Gemini. I started blacking out, with no knowledge of what was happening around me... and I couldn't fix it until whatever was holding me in this... blackness... grew weak or tired. I started to see light and regained myself. I would wake up nowhere near where I was before, and chaos wasn't far away. Something inside me knew... that I was the cause of it... and it hurt me to know that I couldn't stop hurting people."

"What... What made you stay here then? In Los Angeles..." Rhett asked. "Was it knowing that... you, or Gemini... would always be hurting people no matter where you were?"

Link smiled. "There was something here... worth staying for. Someone that helped me fight against... myself... and inspired me to accept my ability." His heart grew heavy the longer he gazed into Rhett's eyes. "He helped a lot of people here. Not only the bystanders. And if it wasn't for him, I don't know what would've happened to me OR this wonderful city."

Blushing, Rhett opened his mouth to speak. He was loudly interrupted by the main doors of the courtroom being pushed open and slammed back shut.

"Stop!" shouted Abbie as she panted down the aisle. "I have the evidence you seek, your honor. This... is not just one, but three street security tapes that contain the footage this courtroom needs to see."

Rhett and Link collectively sighed as the judge ordered the bailiff to bring in a VCR. He grabbed a remote control from under the podium. He pointed it over his shoulder and pressed a button. A large projection screen slowly extruded from the ceiling. The bailiff returned after a minute or so with a dusty VCR, along with a couple cable cords. He gently handed it over to the judge, who placed it down onto his podium and plugged it into the device underneath. The ceiling projector slowly faded its blue image onto the screen. Judge Vincent then gestured for Abbie to come up to the podium. She marched up and proudly handed the tapes over before stepping aside. Within seconds, the first video was popped in and playing on the screen.

The tape started off showing the remains of what was once the front of city hall from across the street. Rhodolite Libra fell from the sky and tumbled onto the ground, and then Gemini materialized in thin air before kicking Libra's helmeted head into the road. Libra yanked him back down and pinned him underneath the weight of his body.

"You can fast-forward a bit," Abbie suggested. Judge Vincent glanced down at her with a raised eyebrow, and did as she instructed. "There! There!" she shouted once she saw the right spot. He reacted promptly and continued watching.

At this point on the tape, Gemini was on his chest against the sidewalk close to the camera. His arms were twisted behind him and held there by Libra as they seemed to be talking. The imagery of Gemini was odd, phasing between his typical look and a complexion that was more human. His body trembled and started taking the more human form, but still had his hair lightly floating around his head. His shining blue eyes flickered without a cohesive rhythm. Libra seemed to yell at Gemini, and suddenly the flickering stopped, leaving Gemini's eyes pupilless. Libra released Gemini's arms and stepped back. A police car drove into view, and Abbie had emerged, but kept her distance with handcuffs at the ready. The jury whispered as the strange form of Gemini on the screen seemed to talk to Libra while sobbing. Many of the members scrawled notes. Their whispering escalated to gasps as Rhodolite Libra moved to comfort the villain. Within seconds, the villain had coughed a puff of smoke out of his mouth and turned into a sweatier version of the Link in front of them.

The judge paused the video and turned back to the accused in the witness chair. He took a good, long look at him, comparing him to what he saw on the screen. Earlier, the whole court had seen Gemini being typical Gemini, battling their hero with all he had. Now they saw a sad, terrified Link welcoming comforting motions from the same person. There was that whole section of weirdness in the middle, but he wasn't fully convinced just yet. He ejected the video and put in another one. This one seemed like the exact same footage, but from a different angle. This one was a little farther and seemed to film from beside the city hall instead of across from it. The action was less centered, but the weirdness seemed exactly the same as before. He paused earlier than he did with the first one, and scratched his chin in thought.

"Editing one video is one thing," he mumbled, "but two videos showing exactly the same thing... Now that's truly something." He turned back around. "If these tapes were edited, it would have to take the absolute expert of experts to be able to pull off something like this. Now, you have three tapes here. No doubt, this one shows the same thing from another angle."

"That is correct, sir," Abbie stated.

"What I can see here," the judge continued, "is the same person behaving in two completely different ways. There was definitely some sort of transformation, but I'm not sure if it proves that Gemini is a separate identity... Let me..."

He stopped there, and then switched back to the first tape. He rewound the footage and paused it during the weird double-phasing section. He fast-forwarded while pausing, making the tape move one frame at a time until the screen showed two bodies overlaying each other. The one flat against the ground was that of Gemini in his full form. Grey skin, shining pupilless eyes, and all. The other body was sitting up some. His skin was whiter and his hair went down. Glasses covered his eyes. The image was strange to see, and showed that this wasn't just a case of a personality or neurological disorder of some kind. There were literally two people in the place of one shown on the tapes.

"It does seem," the judge finally said, "that this... separate identity thing is a verifiable option for this case." He looked at Link once more. "This seems like a foolish thing to ask of you, but would you be able to summon Gemini here so we can see this for ourselves?"

Link looked down at his cuffed and chained hands. "That doesn't exactly sound like a great idea, to be honest. I know Gemini well enough to know he would be able to escape these and just fly through a crack in a door or window or something. I would have to be locked up in a strong, glass box with no holes in order to safely bring him out."

"Which also implies that no prison is capable of containing you while Gemini still remains within you," the judge concluded.

The mayor leapt from his seat. His attorney held him back and sat him back down as quickly and efficiently as he could.

"Ah!" the mayor grunted. "Now hold on there just a moment!" He threw his arm out and pointed directly at Link. "This man is responsible for the destruction of the city - _including_  city hall! Smashed it to rubble with _me_  inside! I should see to it that this menace be detained for his actions! At least make him fix what he destroyed! Innocent people have _died_  because of him! Some sort of punishment _must_  be made for such crimes!"

"I agree whole-heartedly, Mr. Cox," Judge Vincent sighed. "However, at the moment that seems to be impossible. I'm afraid his trial will have to be held to be completed at a later date."

"What?!"

"Until either the presence of Gemini is controlled or has disappeared completely, imprisonment or any other appropriate actions will have to be postponed. I will have it that... Link... be admitted to a rehabilitation facility as well as ability control classes... if such classes are available. He will also be assigned a few parole officers to document progress and to keep constant watch on him." He scribbled his sentence on a form and signed it before handing it to Rhett.

"The... clinic..." Rhett chimed, "and the classes... Can they be facilities of our choosing?"

"Yes. The trial will be held for two months. By then, we should have enough records to notice a predictable pattern at least. At that time an appropriate sentence will be made regarding payment for Gemini's crimes." He smacks the gavel down hard. "Court is hereby dismissed."

Link was immediately released from his chains. He and Rhett beamed at each other as they refrained from embracing. Instead, Link reached and held Rhett's hand behind the stand. Rhett squeezed as a fanfare played in his head.

For now, everything was going to be just fine.


	20. The Final Chapter

Rhett pulled his grey, rental car up to the gym. A bit over three weeks had passed since the trial, and Rhett was so excited to see Link again. He trotted inside and snuck his way into the back room.

 Inside, Link and Dennis were sitting on the polished wooden floor, facing each other. Judging by their deep, lengthy breaths, Rhett assumed they were doing a type of meditation. The second shift parole officer was sitting against the side wall. She was alternating between logging Link's activity on her laptop to checking he phone. Rhett silently scooted up to her and peeked at the computer screen.

"How's he been this week?" he whispered.

"Gemini appearances have started dwindling in the past few days. They've gone down to about five minutes per sighting, and less frequently on particularly 'happy days' as he likes to call them."

"Happy days?"

She finally took her hazel eyes off the computer screen and looked up at him. "Days when he talks to you." Rhett smiled so hard his cheeks bunched up. He quickly glanced at his phone for the time, and then quickly put it back in his pocket.

"Nice job, Link!" he squeaked, clapping as he walked closer to the two men on the floor. Link's eyes burst open, and the biggest grin stretched across his face. He launched up from the floor and wrapped his arms tightly around Rhett.

"I missed you!" Link exclaimed as he snuggled the taller man's chest. Rhett snickered before planting a tiny peck on his head.

"Me too." He quickly looked over at Dennis, who had just stood up. "Thanks again for helping Link."

"Oh gosh, it's my pleasure," Dennis replied with a smile. He tilted his head for a moment. "I'm sorry. I feel like I've met you before, but I can't place why."

Rhett chuckled a little too loudly. "I picked Link up two weeks ago! I'll be seeing ya every other weekend!" He smiled so widely it somewhat hurt his facial muscles.

"I don't know... Even last time I thought I heard that voice of yours before."

"Trust me," Rhett stated. His smile dropped like a rock. "It's just one of those things."

Dennis shrugged it off and started collecting his materials to bring back to storage. Rhett and Link walked hand-in-hand out of the gym. The parole officer followed diligently behind them. Rhett sighed, stopped, and turned to her.

"I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but do you _have_  to follow us to dinner? I can log whatever happens for the next hour or so. You deserve a break."

"No can do, Mr. McLaughlin," she replied. "The court explicitly called for a parole officer present at all times. If you want a _little_  privacy, the best I can do is move to the next booth. As long as I can see him and can understand what is going on, I can do my job."

Link pressed his cheek against Rhett's shoulder. "Where are we going?"

Rhett giggled. "It's a surprise." He opened his car's front passenger door and let Link inside. He held the back door open for the officer as well, and she smiled at the kind gesture before hopping inside.

It didn't take very long to arrive at their destination. Link was astounded at the sight outside.

"No way!" he chimed. "It's back?!" He scrambled out of the vehicle. Everyone else exited after him.

"Yup," Rhett purred. "Your favorite coffee shop's back up and running."

"How?!" Link asked, smiling big like a kid at his first ever theme park visit.

Rhett winked. "A very special pink dude helped with the rebuild and renovations."

At that point, Link made the impossible possible just by smiling even bigger than before. With a nasal huff of a chuckle, Link snatched Rhett's hand and rushed inside, with the parole officer still following behind with her laptop case.

The inside of the diner looked closely similar to how it was before being destroyed, but everything was much shinier and it seemed to have more dining space. A couple brand new televisions were installed into the walls for the diners to watch while they drank their coffee or ate a quick hot dog.

One of those tall tables caught Link's eye right in the corner of the restaurant. He shuffled over to it with Rhett. The parole officer sat at the booth beside them so they had a little bit of space. It didn't take long for the owner to make his way over to the newly arrived guests. He greeted Rhett and Link with a huge grin.

"Hey, Link! I missed having ya around!" he chimed through his big, fluffy, grey mustache. "I... I know it's hard in your spot, there, but I know the real you. I don't hold you responsible for nothin'!" He patted Link's shoulder firmly.

"Thanks, Artie. I knew you were a good friend," Link replied, still smiling bright. Artie looked over at Rhett and gave him a wink.

"And you, sir, are one brave lad. Standing up to the court like that... I've never seen anything like that before. Take good care of this one. He's been through a lot."

"You know it." Rhett smiled in return.

"Anyway, I'm sure you boys aren't just here to visit! What'll it be, fellas?"

"We'll take the usual with a couple burgers," Link answered.

"Hold the tomatoes on yours though, right?"

"You got it." Artie tipped his red baseball cap and waddled back to the kitchen area. Link took another look around the place. "I still can't believe you got this place back up so fast! Thank you, Rhett..."

"Any time." Rhett leaned on the table, getting just a couple inches closer to Link across from him. "But that's not all I have for you today." He pulled a small, rectangular, white box from his back pocket and placed it daintily on the table. Link first looked at Rhett's face as his brows shot upwards. He then slid the lid off to see Rhett's rhodolite gem necklace inside. Link glanced over his shoulder to see his parole officer going to town on that laptop of hers before turning back to Rhett.

"You don't... need this?" he whispered, subconsciously covering the necklace with his hand.

"Nope," Rhett said softly. "I may have during the beginning of my time being a possessor, but either I absorbed its power from all those years of continuously wearing it, or I always had my ability from the beginning. Either way, the rhodolite now has none of my powers in it."

"How do you know it's really in you forever though?"

"I had a DNA test done. Just got the results in yesterday. Not only am I officially a possessor, but I'm also apparently part Sub-Saharan African." Rhett chuckled to himself, and Link joined in.

"Maybe I should do one too," Link added as he finally removed the necklace from the box and put it on over his head.

"Pink looks good on you."

"Bruh," Link teased, squishing his lips out like a duck bill. Rhett snorted in response.

"Bruh," he mimicked in his own mocking voice. A sudden noise stole their attention. They both looked over at a booth across the room to see a little girl no older than four and who they could assume to be her mother.

"I forgot Kitty at home!" panicked the little girl. She threw her arms up in the air with her eyes scrunched closed, and out of thin air puffed a stuffed toy kitty. The girl grabbed it in mid-air and skipped to the booth where her mom had sat. Link smiled as the mother rubbed the child's head and praised her for doing such a good job.

"It's too bad you didn't get that kind of support when you were a kid," Rhett said, claiming Link's full attention. "I'm sure if I had known you in school, I would've helped you out. I would've been your friend, and I would still be now."

"I still can't believe we grew up in the same dang town," Link breathed. "Things would certainly have been different if we had met earlier in life." He glanced back over to that booth. He smiled as the little girl hugged her stuffed kitty while one of the employees was taking their order. "What do you think the future holds for us possessors?"

Rhett took a moment to think. "Well, the numbers are going up like rabbits. Sooner or later, the public's gonna get used to having us around. Then, hopefully, society will make more room for us in the job market."

"Glad to know we're gonna be good for the economy," Link joked.

"Here you go, boys," announced Artie as he laid their burgers and coffee on the table. "This one's on the house." He walked away with a wink. Rhett didn't hesitate for even a second to take a giant bite into his burger. He put it upside down on his plate so he could wipe the ketchup off his beard.

"Goodness gracious, man! You got a super _bite_  too?! You have such a little mouth, yet you somehow devoured half that burger in one bite." Link took a nibble of a bite in comparison to Rhett's chomp.

"I could be a super-eater as a backup career one day," Rhett joked. "I wonder what kind of job might need someone who can make smoke and fire." He took another huge bite as he considered the options.

"Well, I could get rid of it too, so maybe a fireman?" Link took a sip of his coffee. "Do you still... you know, do 'police work'?" he asked, using air quotes, before taking another bite of his dinner.

"Yeah, but since Gemini's not a current threat, my duties have been focused on basic criminal stuff, or other random good deeds around the city while patrolling. Not nearly as challenging or interesting as fighting Gemini. And you have to deal with fighting him every day. Just wait 'til that's finally over."

"I can't wait. Thirty years has been long enough."

An air of silence fell between the two of them. Rhett pursed his lips and tapped his lap as he fought the urge to keep the words he should tell Link to himself. He sighed, looking at his empty plate. He had no excuse for his silence anymore.

"The... thing is... with this job..." Rhett strained to say. "I... won't be doing it for a while."

Link choked a bit on his drink. "You're quitting?! What happened to this being your calling?!"

"No, no. I'm not quitting," Rhett assured, patting Link on the shoulder. "I've just... been away from home way longer than I ever thought I'd be. I've got bills I haven't paid, mail I haven't taken care of, a job over there that I'm still technically employed in... I just have a lot to do."

"Oh... So you're still living there? In Buies Creek?" Rhett nodded. "That explains why you shared an apartment with the chief of police. You weren't meant to stay this long."

"No... I wasn't..." Rhett let his head drop down, ashamed that he had to have this dreaded conversation. "It was supposed to be only a week. I had to call the firm back home and tell them I had to stay longer for legal stuff, but they only gave me so long... and I'm gonna need a job while I'm still home, you know, so I'm not just gonna let them lay me off when I could be making money."

"I understand," Link mumbled, now drooping his head down. He held the gem around his neck and rubbed his thumb over its smooth surface. "So, that's why you gave this to me then, right? Because you're leaving?"

"Yeah..." Link fought the tears that began building in his eyes. He still avoided eye contact with the man in front of him. "But... I do want to come back," Rhett added, perking his head up. Link finally returned eye contact. "I was thinking of maybe finding a place nearby. Maybe not Los Angeles; it's too expensive. But a neighboring city? Get a nice little house big enough for the two of us?" Link perked up a bit more. His eyes grew big and hopeful. "Maybe also a little possessor? I'm thinking maybe one who can fly."

Link chortled. "You think a flying child wouldn't be hard to handle?! They could throw tantrums in the sky! And you might never know if they'll get hurt if they fall at a young age because you don't know how well they can control that!"

"Oh yeah? What kind of possessor would you want to have then?"

"One that can go boneless and soft like a bag of Jell-O on the spot. I would give them constant hugs! And they would rarely get injured, and they could join gymnastics and be the best at it!"

Both of them chuckled fondly at the idea. Link laid a hand on Rhett's as he flashed Rhett the most endearing smile.

"I'm gonna miss you," Link whispered. A single year dripped down his face. Rhett smiled back and turned his hand over, grasping Link's tightly as he fought the urge to cry, himself.

"I'll miss you too," he rasped. He saw a small glimmer on the gem around Link's neck, and smiled, knowing exactly what it meant.

But he didn't need a gem to tell him.

He leaned forward, and Link was quick to meet him halfway with a soft kiss.

The gem dangled between the two of them, glowing brightly like the sun.

There was never a day since, that it didn't.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first superhero/villain AU! Please let me know your thoughts by writing a comment! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy :D


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